Fear may stop the coronavirus vaccine from reaching some of the people who need it most

As vaccine distribution increases across the United States, supporters and public health professionals need to take more steps to make the vaccine accessible to millions of undocumented migrants. I warn you that there is.

“I’m very worried,” says Dr. Ranit Misorri, senior medical adviser to the Physicians for Human Rights. “If we are a country that achieves herd immunity, that means that the non-citizens living between us must be vaccinated.”

Many undocumented migrants are already Disproportionate to coronavirus, And many are at high risk of exposure Indispensable workers on the front line, Says Mishori. It becomes even more important for them to be vaccinated as soon as possible, she says.

However, Mishori and other supporters and experts who recently spoke with CNN said there was a major obstacle to that goal: fear.

Here are some of the important issues they have already seen.

She began to hear concerns from patients

Dr. Kathleen Page says he saw this horror repeated many times during the pandemic. From time to time, she says undocumented patients are very ill with Covid-19, but are afraid to go to the hospital because they are afraid to fall into the hands of immigration authorities. ..

And when it comes to vaccines, Page says she began to hear similar concerns from some of her patients.

“I’ve heard from people who say,’I’m not sure what you know about this vaccine.'” I don’t know if I trust it. I don’t trust this administration, “said Page, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Federal and state officials Still considering details About how the coronavirus vaccine is distributed. It may be a few months Before the vaccine became available to some essential workers, not to mention the general public.And the new administration It vowed to change immigration policy quickly Waiting on the wings

However, in some corners of the immigrant community disproportionately devastated by the pandemic, the vaccine conspiracy theory is taking hold, Page said. She has immigrants who fear that government skepticism and distrust are widespread in undocumented communities, and that the data collected when vaccinated will later be used by immigration authorities. He says it’s not difficult to understand why.

“It doesn’t take long to convince someone who has seen a family separated at the border or a child separated from their parents,” she says. Why do I have to trust them? “

Page tells the patient that she is taking the vaccine and says they want to do the same.

But she says the concern she sees already bubbling is a clear sign that community leaders must be involved in the deployment of the vaccine.

“We need to really trust the system and have enough people to access and get vaccinated, and that can make a difference,” she says. “Otherwise, people in this group will continue to suffer disproportionately.”

Asked by CNN as to whether and how undocumented migrants will have access to the vaccine as part of the federal distribution campaign, the Department of Health and Human Services said, “This policy decision. I’m not involved in the vaccine, “and make sure that all Americans have access to the vaccine.State and region According to HHS, the government will eventually decide how to distribute the vaccine.

“Operation Warp Speed ​​will provide vaccines to the management sites required by the jurisdiction, enabling and implementing their plans as they know their population and region best,” the statement said in the Commonwealth. Said referring to his vaccination efforts.

Cost concerns can also get in the way

Federal government gives coronavirus vaccine Free for Americans..

“We pay for vaccines, pay for shipping, and administer … covered by a program that covers Covid-19 costs for medical payers, private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and uninsured.” Health Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said earlier this month.

But other comments from the leader have given immigrant advocates a pause — as Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNN last month. In an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Bula said the vaccine would be free “for all American citizens.”

It prompted a letter from a New York lawmaker expressing concern.

“While everyone is waiting with the vaccine in the hope of returning to normal, your recent comment that the vaccine will be free to all American citizens raises an important question: our refugees. And immigrant neighbors (both documented and undocumented) included or distributed? ” New York State Senator Michael Janaris wrote..

“Covid-19 is not discriminatory and we should not discriminate as access to vaccines approaches,” Janaris, the majority leader of the State Senate, said in a statement released last month. ..

This week, Pfizer, asked by CNN to explain Bula’s comments, queried the government questions on the issue, saying the CEO had referred to a government statement on the topic.

Concerns about costs often prevent undocumented migrants from seeking medical care, says Page. She also says that these same fears could make undocumented communities more vigilant against vaccines if community leaders do not send clear messages.

And fear isn’t the only factor that defenders are worried about

Fighting the fear of vaccines is of utmost concern to advocates and healthcare professionals working with the immigrant community, but it’s not the only one in their minds.

“There are fears, and there are also logistical barriers,” says Joel Diringer, a consultant to the California Legal Support Foundation. Encourage California authorities to do more to prioritize agricultural workers in their state’s vaccine response..

“This is a crisis …. This is one of these times in history where we need to protect the workers who feed us throughout the country, providing services and information. And to get the help they need, you need to meet them where they are. It’s life and death, “says Foundation legislative supporter Noe Paramo.

That is, Diringer and Paramo are now outreaching and planning mobile clinics and flexible time to make vaccines accessible to most migrant workers in remote rural areas. It means to stand up.

Another major issue is now noteworthy, said Mishori, a group of doctors for human rights. It is to ensure that ICE detainees are vaccinated as soon as possible.

“They are even more vulnerable than undocumented immigrants in the community … because they are in a situation where Covid is actually spreading out of control. They are mostly. Like a duck sitting there waiting to get infected, “She said.

The ICE states that authorities are working with the federal and contract facilities to ensure that detainees receive the vaccine.

“ICE will allow detainees to be vaccinated as soon as possible, following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization and Implementation (ACIP) and other relevant federal government guidance on vaccination prioritization. I will be able to receive it, “said the agency. Statement to CNN.

However, it remains unclear exactly when and how it will happen.

It took time for authorities to recognize the extent of health inequality occurring during the pandemic and take steps to combat them, and Mishori suspects a similar situation could develop with vaccines. Say you are worried.

“We’ve been honestly alienating the healthcare system in these communities for years, and I don’t know if it’s going to be repeated,” she says. “But I hope it isn’t. I hope it can be stopped.”

Mishori says that’s why she and other supporters are speaking now before it’s too late.