California expanded vaccine eligibility late Wednesday, allowing everyone ages 16 and older to sign up for an appointment. But the state is still struggling to vaccinate communities that have been hit hardest during the pandemic.
According to the latest data from the California Department of Public Health, out of the total number of vaccine doses administered, only 3.2% have gone to Black people and 22.4% to people who identify as Latino. Nearly 31% of the shots have gone to white people.
Of the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state, 44% of the positive results have occurred in the Latino community and more than 7% in the Black community.
Kiran Savage-Sangwan, executive director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, a statewide multicultural health advocacy organization, told KQED the state needs to continue to push forward in getting the vaccine to communities of color.
“We need to double down on the equity strategies that we’re using in California,” she said. “We need to make sure that we continue that 40% allocation to the most vulnerable neighborhoods.”