The richest in America are finding ways to access the vaccine before those who qualify it.
Why it’s important: The pandemic has already widened existing health inequalities and underserved communities continue to lag behind in vaccinations compared to whites and the rich.
The incident: In January, Florida Baptist Health Systems helped vaccinate 1,200 residents of the affluent Ocean Reef community, but the doses came from its vaccine storage for the general public, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
- Although Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) insists the state “was not involved,” a Baptist Health spokesman said Ocean Reef Medical Center requested doses from the state of Florida, which the state asked Baptist Health.
- Some of the beneficiaries were wealthy Republican donors who had contributed to DeSantis’ political action committee, according to Ben Montgomery of Axios.
- Baptist Health was forced to cancel vaccination appointments for “hundreds of people” because of the shortage, according to the Times. DeSantis has faced off since then.
But this is not the only case of rich people bordering the line.
- In Philadelphia, the executive director of a 22-year-old COVID response startup was caught taking doses home for his friends.
- In another case, board members of the nursing home and major donors were invited to obtain the vaccine for residents of West Palm Beach, Florida.
- The Los Angeles Times has reported that wealthy Californians are getting vaccines aimed at black and Latino communities.
- Wealthy clients in Los Angeles and New York City offered donations of up to $ 25,000 to concierge to doctors in exchange for the vaccine.
- “Suddenly, our clinic was full of white people,” George Jones, the head of a nonprofit organization that runs a medical clinic, told the New York Times in February. “We’ve never had it before. We serve people who are disproportionately African American.”
The big picture: An analysis of local vaccine data in ten states with the largest wealth shortages found that several states had vaccinated a significantly higher proportion of people in the richest counties, according to STAT.
- Connecticut has the “most obvious disparity” in vaccination rates between the richest and poorest communities with a 65% difference.
- California, Florida, New Jersey and Mississippi have also vaccinated 10% richer people in counties at much higher rates.
- Cities continue to struggle to adequately reach lower-income communities of color.
The Biden administration has allocated $ 250 million in grants to community organizations in an effort to combat inequalities in cities ’response to the coronavirus.
- States like Colorado and Minnesota are also trying to address the shortcomings in vaccine distribution.
In depth: “Vaccine tourism” expands state supplies