Nearly 1 million children ages 5 to 11 received their first COVID-19 shot in their first week of eligibility, the Biden administration announced last week.
But the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations for elementary school-age children has exposed another blind spot in the nation’s efforts to tackle the pandemic of inequality: Health systems have released little data data about racism in youth vaccination, and community leaders fear that Black and Latino children are falling behind.
Only a few states release public data on COVID-19 vaccinations by race and age, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also do not compile analyzes on race.
Public health leaders believe the racial divide is fueled by barriers to work and transportation, as well as lingering reluctance and information gaps. Parents without reliable transportation will have a harder time getting their kids to and from appointments. People without flexible work schedules or paid family leave may delay getting their children vaccinated, and parents who do not speak English as a first language may not be able to access their information. need.
In some places reporting COVID-19 vaccines for children by race, incidents vary.
In Michigan, Connecticut and Washington, DC, white children are vaccinated at much higher rates than black children. But in New York City, white children ages 13 to 17 are vaccinated at lower rates than black, Latino, and Asian children.
In Connecticut, vaccination rates for 12- to 17-year-olds in many affluent, predominantly white towns exceed 80%.
In Hartford, Connecticut, 39% of children aged 12 to 17 are fully immunized. Citywide in suburban West Hartford, 88% of children of the same age are fully immunized, according to state data updated in November.
The White House has made health equity a top priority, and its coronavirus task force last week said the country had closed the racial gap in its total population of 194 million fully vaccinated. . The Biden administration also said it is spending nearly $800 million to support organizations that seek to improve vaccine confidence in communities of color and low-income Americans.
Also in the news:
► Maine put a record high for the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
► New York State is Expanded eligibility for enhanced COVID for those who “feel at risk.”
► A hospital in Houston has temporarily suspend a doctor for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 to her patients and on social media.
📈Today’s numbers: The United States has recorded more than 47 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 764,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global total: More than 253 million cases and 5.1 million deaths. More than 195 million Americans – 58.8% of the population – are fully immunized, According to CDC.
📘 What we are reading: As doctors’ offices and pharmacies fill appointments to vaccinate children, parents across the country are expecting the freedoms their kids can enjoy after getting vaccinated. But The question of face coverings – especially in schools – remains.
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Florida teacher at center of ivermectin lawsuit dies after battling COVID-19
A Palm Beach County teacher at the center of a battle to get an unproven drug from the hospital because of her worsening COVID-19 symptoms died of illness.
Tamara Drock, 47, of Loxahatchee, Florida, died of complications from COVID Friday, 12 weeks after being admitted to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center for treatment, her husband said.
As she battled the disease, her husband, Ryan Drock, sued the hospital last month asking the hospital to use ivermectin, a drug approved to treat conditions caused by parasitic worms. but not COVID.
The closely watched case has become one of many around the country that seek to force hospitals to administer the drug, which has gained popularity among conservatives as a potential treatment for cases of serious illness.
However, this drug is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment. The federal agency says it has not proven effective against COVID-19 in preclinical trials.
– Andrew Marra, Palm Beach Post
Contribution: Associated Press
