Vaccination rates for black Oklahoma are lower than for white residents | Local news

Oklahoma City — Wednesday supporters said state health officials were struggling to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to black residents throughout the state.

To date, about 14,000 Black Oklahoma (about 7%) of the 206,000 people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine have been vaccinated at least once, according to the Chief Medical Officer of the Oklahoma Community Health Center. One Dr. Priya Samant said. About 6,000 of them receive both doses.

By comparison, Samant said that about 13% of white Oklahoma people were initially vaccinated and about 6% were both vaccinated. She said the vaccination coverage for other minority populations in Oklahoma was about 11% and about 6% had completed vaccination.

According to Samant, the Community Health Center has vaccinated an estimated 15% of the state’s black population.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t really received much since the first shipment,” said Samant. “We received only 100 (dose) here, and we received 100 there, which makes vaccine planning very difficult.”

Samant said he requested about 8,000 to 10,000 vaccines because he is servicing 16,000 people. Nearly half of them suffer from complications that are particularly vulnerable to the complications of COVID-19.

African Americans are 1.1 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19. She said they were three times more likely to be hospitalized and twice more likely to die.

“It is very important to vaccinate the arm of a person who is ready to be vaccinated as soon as possible,” Samant said.

Jason Lowe, a member of the D-Oklahoma City legislature, said he had one of the worst experiences of his life when he was infected with COVID-19 last March. He had to be hospitalized.

Rowe, who has recovered since then and recently received the first dose of the vaccine, urged public health officials to increase access to the vaccine for colored Oklahoma people.

“I work with talented public health leaders throughout the state to reassure people of color that the vaccine is safe and effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 to the community. I’m calling for more, “he said. “To move forward and repair the damage caused by COVID-19, we must all work together to achieve equitable access to the vaccine.”

Proponents also said that many black Oklahoma people are suffering from technical gaps. The state has posted an available vaccination schedule on its online portal. Those who are not familiar with Internet access and technology face seemingly insurmountable obstacles and many frustrations.

Federal supply is hampering state-wide vaccination efforts, said Florita Pope, planning coordinator for the State Department’s Minority Health and Health Inequalities Office. Currently, the demand for vaccines is higher than it is supplied everywhere.

The Pope said white Oklahoma people are more likely to be vaccinated with regular vaccines than their racial minority counterparts.

“Due to transportation, financial barriers, or lack of reliable health resources, it can be more difficult for minority communities to access vaccines,” said the Pope. “Oklahoma is making intensive efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines to all communities. Black and brown, Latin, living in or (having) low-income areas. ) Allows Oklahoma people with disabilities to actually receive this vaccine. “

The Pope said he had heard some in the black community say they were not taking the vaccine or would not wait. By waiting, she said, the virus could continue to spread to communities already affected by death and hospitalization.

The Pope said black Americans are hesitant to obtain vaccines because they face a well-documented history of medical abuse, including eugenic sterilization and Tuskegee studies of untreated syphilis.

“We encourage African Americans. Take advantage of the opportunity to get this vaccine,” she said.

State Health Deputy Secretary of Health Keith Reid said Tuesday that authorities are closely watching racial data voluntarily submitted by people enrolled in the state to receive the vaccine.

He said that about a quarter of vaccinated Oklahoma people did not report their race.

“We are not happy to reach the community of all these colors,” he said. “We recognize that we definitely need to do better to reach these particular communities and we want to do that through our local partnerships.”

He said improving vaccine access points in the community would help.

This includes increasing the dose of COVID-19 to local pharmacies and local healthcare providers.

Janelle Stecklein covers the Oklahoma State Capitol on CNHI’s newspapers and website.To reach her [email protected]..