Remember the big push to vaccinate people with preexisting conditions?
A @ProPublica analysis of CDC data shows how that faltered big time.
Vaccination rates are generally much lower in counties w/ high rates of comorbidities than in healthier (usually wealthier) ones 👇👇
A @ProPublica analysis of CDC data shows how that faltered big time.
Vaccination rates are generally much lower in counties w/ high rates of comorbidities than in healthier (usually wealthier) ones 👇👇
2/ As of 4/25, counties with high levels of chronic illnesses had, on average, immunized 57% of seniors, compared to 65% of seniors in counties with the lowest comorbidity risk.
3/ Counties with the highest health risk were significantly less likely than healthier counties to have vaccinated a large majority of their older residents. 
4/ To really understand this, let’s take a look at Baltimore...
5/ With high rates of diabetes, smoking & obesity, the city of Baltimore ranks among the nation’s most at-risk jurisdictions from chronic illness. Other parts of the region, like the more affluent nearby Howard County, are among the healthiest.
6/ CDC data shows just 55% of Baltimore City’s seniors were fully vaccinated as of April 25, 15 percentage points lower than the rate for residents 65 and older in larger Baltimore County, which surrounds the city.
7/ The vaccination gap isn't just for seniors. The counties with the highest 1/3 of chronic illness risk have, on average, finished shots for 15% of residents 64-and-under. In the top-third of healthiest counties, that rate is 19%.
8/ One cause of these disparities: The COVID vaccine rollout has largely relied on individuals taking the initiative to get vaccinated, rather than active government outreach.
9/ That means people with flexible schedules, transportation and regular access to health care have been better able to get appointments.
Those with less support have fallen behind.
Those with less support have fallen behind.
10/ Additionally, a 2020 CDC survey indicated adults w/ underlying medical conditions were less interested in getting the vaccine than healthier adults.
Respondents who were unlikely to get vaccinated most often cited concerns about side effects & safety. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…
Respondents who were unlikely to get vaccinated most often cited concerns about side effects & safety. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…
11/ Back in Baltimore, as fewer people seek shots at mass vaccination sites, the city has taken a proactive approach, partnering with hospitals & pharmacies to create mobile vaccine teams to vaccinate those most at risk of severe COVID-19.
12/ “It’s definitely a slower approach,” said Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, the city health commissioner. “At these events, we’re doing anywhere from 75 to 150 people, tops.”
13/ Hundreds of miles west in Wyandotte County, KS, part of Kansas City’s urban core, officials say the vaccine supply is now stable, but the number of willing arms for those shots is too few.
14/ “We’ve tried to make this vaccine as available as humanly possible,” said Dr. Erin Corriveau, the county’s deputy medical officer.
“We’re incentivizing vaccines with giveaways and food boxes and we’re doing Saturday hours and expanding our evening hours.”
“We’re incentivizing vaccines with giveaways and food boxes and we’re doing Saturday hours and expanding our evening hours.”
15/ Yet, as of 4/25 only 56% of Wyandotte seniors were fully vaccinated.
While a few miles away in Johnson County, where far fewer residents suffer from chronic illness, that vaccination rate is 83%.
While a few miles away in Johnson County, where far fewer residents suffer from chronic illness, that vaccination rate is 83%.
16/ “You have people with time, who can get on computers and sign up for multiple lists,” said Tami Gurley, assoc. professor at @KUMedCenter.
“They all have their own transportation, nobody’s relying on public transportation, it’s all private cars out here.”
“They all have their own transportation, nobody’s relying on public transportation, it’s all private cars out here.”
17/ These vaccination disparities are partly the result of the Trump administration’s decision not to invest federal dollars in vaccine sites at the beginning, said infectious disease expert Dr. Grace Lee, a member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
18/ “They launched this massive campaign and were like, ‘Good luck, you’re on your own,’” Lee said. “And not only do you have to deliver a very complicated series of vaccines, but on top of that we expect you to address inequities, all without any additional support.”
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