Inequality has been a perpetual problem in the United States. Historically, people of color have been the victims of discrimination, incarceration, and lack of simple, humane services. Through the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the general public is introduced to the most recent example of discrimination that people of color have been subjected to. A recent case occurred in Oklahoma where a Black Native American was denied the COVID-19 vaccine and financial relief from the government (“Black Native Americans”). While everyone should be given the right to take preventative measures to combat dying, the disparities of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution are evidenced by the disparate death rates in the minority community compared to the wealthy and White upper classes. The lack of vaccines and the lack of information and resources in lower-income communities have clearly shown the unfair distribution of vaccines between the wealthy and poor; between White and Black.  

For centuries, there have been groups of people who were consistently considered inferior by their “superior” counterparts. These inferior groups have historically been defined as people of color. From the time of slavery to Reconstruction and Segregation to modern-day America, people of color have continuously been subject to discrimination due to their differences from White Americans in language, culture, and economic standing. History has seen separate but equal institutions and redlining, and gerrymandering is just some examples of how rules have been created and enforced to oppress a specific demographic. Feeling this frenzy is the effect of the systematic separation between White and Black communities. Specifically, redlining has shaped the way minorities receive aid from the government, and gerrymandering has shaped the way political power is disbursed. In underserved communities, there are fewer services available at a higher cost. Cost to health is witnessed by the number of fast-food chains, which have statistically caused 26.6% of Black adults to suffer from obesity as compared to their White counterparts, who are 16.2% likely to be obese (“New Findings: Historic Redlining”). This disparity shows that people of color have a higher chance of suffering from obesity, leading to respiratory problems and puts them at a greater risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. The lack of proper nutrition also makes them more susceptible to dying from COVID-19, especially if they suffer from pre-existing health conditions.  

In the past year, people of color were the leading group affected by the pandemic as they represent the highest death rates in the United States. Based on recorded death rates, Lee Kirksey, in his article, “COVID-19 Vaccination: Potential Challenges and Reforms,” quotes from the CDC which states that Black people and Hispanics are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 and four times more likely to be hospitalized when compared to their White counterparts. This highlights the drastic statistical probability that a person of color will be exposed to COVID-19 and die from the virus. Additionally, residents of inner-city communities are more likely to get COVID-19 due to their proximity to one another. Living in overcrowded conditions, underserved nursing homes, shelters, or homeless creates an atmosphere for COVID-19 and all contagious diseases. The 6-feet-apart rule, according to the CDC, is the safest distance between one another, but people in lower socioeconomic classes live in homes and neighborhoods that are highly populated. The 6-feet-rule can hardly be complied with, so the virus spreads more rapidly. It is almost inevitable for people of color to be hit the hardest by COVID-19 based on their pre-existing health conditions and living circumstances.  

Furthermore, in New York City specifically, the commuting ridership during the pandemic revealed how people with lower wages are more willing to work due to their financial constraints. Rather than staying at home as recommended by the CDC and WHO, they must go to work. At the beginning of the pandemic, an analysis of MTA data showed that the commuter ridership in Manhattan, which has the highest median income of all five boroughs, dropped by 75 percent. In comparison, in the Bronx, which has the lowest median income of the five boroughs, commuter ridership dropped by 55 percent (qtd in Schmidt). The 20-percent difference in the ridership on public transportation between these two boroughs is explained by Harold Schmidt in “Vaccine Rationing and the Urgency of Social Justice in the COVID-19 Response” in which he asserts the difference in value between the rich and the poor as the cause for this discrepancy. People in lower-income communities need to maintain their jobs in order to support their families. Therefore, they are more willing to go to work and use public transportation due to its affordability, so commuter ridership among these communities did not drop drastically. In turn, however, this leads them to be at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, which can potentially lead to death. Whereas, in contrast, people from higher-income communities had a more drastic decline in commuter ridership because they did not need to rush back to work. Having a higher income implies that they may potentially have more savings and are financially stable. Plus, in New York City, some of the upper-class residents decided to stay at their vacation homes for some time during the pandemic instead of staying in the city, which was considered a significant hotspot for COVID-19. Due to the burden of financial responsibilities, people of color are more prone to continue to work and take the risk of contracting the coronavirus, which leads us to understand that they are in desperate need of the vaccine to prevent more deaths.  

Since the release of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to the public in December of 2020, there has been a lack of vaccines in communities of color, resulting in a higher number of adults being ill. The Trump administration had initially denied federal funding for States to purchase vaccines and caused the progression and distribution of vaccines to slow down. As mentioned in Nicholas Florko’s article, “Trump Officials Actively Lobbied to Deny States Money for Vaccine Rollout Last Fall,” the federal government, by not approving extra funding, set the states up to be unprepared during the vaccine push that came in December. As a result, the shortage in supply of vaccines caused a setback in distributing vaccines to the general public, as the majority of the vaccines produced went to first responders. Additionally, there has also been a lack of availability in the vaccines due to the wasted unused doses. According to the “Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Storage and Handling Summary,” which is one of the two current vaccine distribution companies, states that each thermal shipping container holds up to five trays of vaccines equating to 1,170 doses total per container. It must be stored between -112 and –76 degrees Fahrenheit. But once the vaccines are prepared for usage, a provider has 6 hours to use them, otherwise, any remaining vaccine must be discarded. Because of this requirement, supplies go to waste as there are often more vaccines unused before the 6 hours than people at the vaccination sites.  

Opponents of an unfair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines argue that there is an equal distribution of the vaccines but that people from underserved communities are not getting vaccinated because they are afraid of the side effects of the vaccine. Many have voiced their discomfort in partaking in vaccination efforts because of the abnormal speed at which the vaccines were created and the lack of testing done to assure the product’s safety. For this reason, “most want to wait and see how others who get the shot make out” before they decide whether they want to get vaccinated (Hallenbeck). This implies no lack of distribution in the vaccines but a misconception of their side effects. A large group of people believes that they are being used as “guinea pigs” for testing the effects of the vaccine on an underrepresented, economically challenged population. Furthermore, social media and news outlets have added to the fear over vaccines as they release many myths as fact. For example, swollen faces, red skin, and mentions of death have been plastered across these mediums, causing many minorities to be fearful of getting vaccinated. In reality, though, other contributing factors have led to these physical anomalies, such as prescriptions that counteract with the vaccine resulting in adverse reactions. This misinformation and lack of availability turn to public fear and a large portion of the population opting not to receive the vaccine.  

Although health institutions and national authorities have created campaigns to promote the COVID-19 vaccine, more action is needed to educate the public, specifically in lower-income communities. An example of effectively educating the public would be to utilize online social media platforms, traditional media outlets, and community-based organizations. As the  journal article, “The Strategies to Support COVID-19 Vaccination with Evidence-Based Communication and Tackling Misinformation” asserts, the importance of using these media outlets to provide understandable information to the general public that covers “the mechanism of vaccines’ action, the research process, approval regulations, and individual and public benefits of vaccinations” to debunk myths and misconceptions regarding the vaccine and its side-effects (Piotr Rzymski et al). The purpose of this is to make more people feel safe about getting vaccinated and encourage them to take the initiative to reduce their probability of contracting or dying if they test positive for COVID. Furthermore, concentration on the lack of participants signing up for the vaccine will help create easier access to appointments. As it currently stands, people in wealthier communities who have knowledge about how to sign-up for the vaccine sometimes end up commuting to lower-income communities to get vaccinated. This has taken away many vaccines that are supposed to prevent illness in impoverished communities. Thus, it is essential and the responsibility of both the Federal and State governments to effectively promote public awareness about COVID-19 vaccinations.  

The lack of equal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has left many underrepresented communities at a disadvantage. Some hardships that many low-income neighborhoods face today include a lack of education, recreational areas, and higher crime rates. Combined with the lack of availability, information, and resources, many communities have been left shattered due to the impacts of COVID-19. By combating systemic issues, we can tip the scales against underlying inequalities that these communities face. Investing in education, increasing the minimum wage, and ending residential segregation would begin resolving many discriminatory practices today. Furthermore, action needs to be taken by the federal government to prevent future pandemics and epidemics from occurring. Because the country was not prepared to combat COVID-19, it had become clear that continuous funding for vaccine and research programs must occur to increase early virus detection and prevent future deaths.  

Works Cited 

“Black Native Americans Denied COVID-19 Vaccines.” Global Health Now, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 18 Mar. 2021.

Florko, Nicholas, et al. “Trump Officials Actively Lobbied to Deny States Money for Vaccine  Rollout Last Fall.” STAT, 31 Jan. 2021.

Hallenbeck, Brian. “UPDATED: For Some, COVID-19 Vaccine’s Availability Is Reason  Enough to Get a Shot.” The Day (New London, Conn. 1981), Tribune Content Agency,  2021.  

Kirksey, Lee, et al. “COVID- 19 Vaccination: Potential Challenges and Reforms.” Journal of the National Medical Association, 16 Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.01.001.  

“New Findings: Historic Redlining Drives Health Disparities for New Yorkers.” Primary Care Development Corporation, 29 Oct. 2020.

“Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Storage and Handling Summary.” CDC, 03 March 2021.

Rzymski, Piotr, et al. “The Strategies to Support the COVID-19 Vaccination with Evidence-Based  Communication and Tackling Misinformation.” Vaccines (Basel), vol. 9, no. 2, MDPI AG, 2021, p. 109–, doi:10.3390/vaccines9020109.  

Schmidt, Harald. “Vaccine Rationing and the Urgency of Social Justice in the Covid-19 Response.” Hastings Center Report, vol. 50, no. 3, May 2020, pp. 46–49., doi:10.1002/hast.1113.