Covid-19 disproportionately harms minority groups. The vaccine rollout perpetuates the same problems.

Black and Latino populations should be prioritized for the Covid-19 vaccine. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Black Americans and Latinos have case rates, hospitalizations and mortality rates three and four times higher than white Americans. Yet white Americans are receiving the vaccine at a significantly higher rate.

It doesn’t matter where Black and Latino populations live or what occupation they are in, these groups are being devastated by the effects of Covid-19 and deserve to be prioritized for the vaccine based on their category of risk.

The CDC study found the average American life expectancy decreased by one year, from 78.8 to 77.8, in 2020. For Latinos, life expectancy decreased more – by 1.9 years – and for Black Americans, by 2.7 years, compared to 0.8 years for whites. Disproportionate Covid-19 death rates were a major contributing factor. Yet, for the first few months of the vaccine rollout, adults over 75 were prioritized while the life expectancy for Black Americans was only 72. This policy approach obviously did not account for an important variable.

Advocacy and activism matter. We saw this, a few weeks ago, when federally supported vaccine distribution sites for Monterey County were planned for Carmel and Monterey CVS locations ahead of Salinas, Seaside and South County, where more Black and Latino people reside. After community members and elected officials spoke up, CVS added a Salinas location.

Thanks in part to activism, there are efforts to prioritize vulnerable communities, including farmworkers. This is a good thing, but it does not go far enough. There are vulnerable individuals throughout our community who should be prioritized, but because race and ethnicity are controversial categories, they must wait for their turn.

This process is unacceptable. We need more responsive and equitable systems that should consider the following issues, which pre-date the pandemic.

1) The manner in which we compete for coveted appointments is not equitable.The digital divide prohibits some in vulnerable groups from registering for the vaccine.

2) There are differences in the manner in which people access health information. While some individuals have primary care providers and know how to utilize health systems, others do not have the same level of health literacy.

3) There is a continuing need to better understand the level of trust between communities of color and the government, including public health. We need more research to better understand if high-risk populations are planning to receive the vaccine. Reaching herd immunity will depend on our ability to protect vulnerable populations, as well as the broader community.

Black and Latino populations are unique and require targeted responses. We cannot simply pretend the playing field is level.

Equity means providing vulnerable groups what they need to achieve equitable outcomes.

VANESSA LOPEZ-LITTLETON is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Health, Human Services and Public Policy at CSU Monterey Bay.