Dallas officials are making changes after three high-income zip codes received an exorbitant share of the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccines.
© Tom Fox / AP
A COVID-19 shot is administered at a mass vaccination center at the Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center in Arlington, Texas, on January 11, 2021.
Of the 3,071 doses dispensed at the Fair Park Vaccination Center, 461 doses were received by people in three high-income positions, while people from two zip codes with the highest number of COVID-19 infections received a total of 49 doses, according to Dallas ABC WFAA branch.
Dallas judge Clay Jenkins said a link to the appointment system shared among people in North Dallas enabled them to skip the queue.
“Now we have an appointment system that cannot be hacked,” Jenkins said. “The people who get appointments are the most vulnerable people.”
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In addition to the crash with the appointment system, more people from affluent areas are reporting for the provincial waiting list, which is now 300,000 names. Jenkins attributes the inequality to existing inequalities: compared to high-income people, low-income people are less likely to have reliable transportation, Internet access, or equal access to information.
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There are also signs that racial differences, which have repeatedly surfaced during the pandemic, are already present in the way the vaccine is distributed. In nearby Tarrant County, Texas, which is 30% Spanish, only 5% of those vaccinated were Spanish.
© Tom Fox / AP
A COVID-19 shot is administered at a mass vaccination center at the Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center in Arlington, Texas, on January 11, 2021.
Similarly, an analysis by Kaiser Health News published this week found that black Americans are vaccinated at the lower rate than white Americans, even though front-line health workers are usually a race. diverse group.
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Texas has so far administered 1.1 million vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which translates into 4,001 vaccines for every 100,000 residents.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Texas has reported 2.1 million infections and 32,711 deaths from COVID-19 since Tuesday since the pandemic began.
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