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4/20/2021 Black and Latino residents in L.A.
lag behind in COVID-19 vaccines - Los Angeles Times
Black and Latino residents in L.A. County lag behind in getting

COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-19/blacks-latinos-covid-19-vaccine-rate-la-counnty 1/13
4/20/2021 Black and Latino residents in L.A. lag behind in COVID-19 vaccines - Los Angeles Times
The COVID-19 vaccination rate for seniors in Los Angeles County increased
dramatically in the past 10 days, but disparities continue to mar the vaccine rollout as
Latino and Black residents receive vaccinations at a significantly lower level than
whites and Asian Americans, according to county health data released Friday.
Nearly 25% of Black residents age 65 and over, about 30,000 people, have received at
least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, an 18-point jump from Feb. 9, according to
data released Friday by the Department of Pubic Health. Latino seniors receiving the
shot reached 29%, an increase of 14 points from earlier this month.
By contrast, 42.8% of white senior residents have received at least one shot, as have
39.4% of Asian Americans, the data show. Overall, nearly 43% of seniors in the
county, or 584,370 people, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Since the inequities in vaccine access emerged, county and state officials have been
redoubling efforts to make the vaccination process easier for seniors in communities
of color. The federal government opened a mass vaccination site at Cal State L.A. that
is closer to public transportation. The county has moved to open more vaccination
sites in communities of color and looked to expand transportation options for people
without vehicles.
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But the data show that problems persist. “The findings are deeply concerning and
provide further illustration of the deeply rooted health inequities that exist in our
society,” said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the L.A. County Department of
Public Health.
The stark disparities are also reflected by additional data showing vaccination rates
by neighborhood. Residents who live in L.A. County’s wealthier, whiter
neighborhoods have a far greater vaccination percentage than lower income
communities of color, the data show.
Cities and neighborhoods with 25% or more of its population having received at least
one dose of vaccine include Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Cheviot
Hills and Rolling Hills Estates.
But areas with 9% or less of its population vaccinated included broad swaths of South
L.A. and Southeast L.A. County, including the cities of South Gate, Lynwood,
Maywood, Compton and Cudahy; the Antelope Valley and L.A. neighborhoods
including Koreatown, North Hollywood and Little Armenia.
Simon said during a news conference Friday that his department will prioritize more
doses for vaccine providers with the lowest vaccination coverage rates and reserve
more vaccine appointments for residents in those communities. Next week, the
department will allocate about 7,000 more doses for residents in South L.A. and up
to 2,000 for residents in the Antelope Valley, he said.
The disparities in vaccination rates have been seen statewide.
New state report breaks down vaccine distribution by age, race, gender, and
shows disparities
Of the more than 6.9 million vaccine doses administered in the state, the bulk of
them — or roughly 32% — have gone to white residents, according to California
Department of Public Health data. Just 2.9% of vaccinations have occurred among
Black residents and 16% have occurred among Latino residents. Roughly 13.9% of
those who have received their vaccine have been identified as “multirace” — a term
that does not have any further description — 12.1% have been identified as “other”
and 8.7% have been identified as “unknown.”
State officials and advocates for various communities have said the low numbers have
been attributed to a lack of vaccine access as well as vaccine hesitancy. Additionally,
the state’s eligibility for those 65 and older automatically created an imbalance of
who could receive the vaccine, since those in Black and Latino communities
historically have had a diminished lifespan compared to white residents. That has
been especially true during the pandemic.
The death rate related to COVID-19 for Black residents is 7% higher than the
statewide rate. For Latino residents, the death rate is 21% higher, according to state
data.
The county has expanded the number of vaccination sites in communities of color,
but many of those providers are frustrated because they have no control over who
registers for their open appointments.
“That’s why our equity numbers are as paltry as they are,” said Supervisor Holly
Mitchell, whose Second District includes many of the county’s Black residents, at a
recent board meeting.
The state is working on addressing that issue by allocating specific blocks of

appointments for people who live in high-density neighborhoods with limited
healthcare providers, among other factors that make residents vulnerable to

contracting the coronavirus.
California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris said Friday during a virtual
townhall the lack of supply has exacerbated this problem, with people skilled at
navigating the appointment system showing up in areas meant to serve Black and
Latino population groups.
“So we see that, even sometimes when the vaccine is being administered in a local
community clinic that has historically served communities of color, we see people
coming from across town finding a way to to get themselves that appointment,” she
said.
Some experts have pointed out that vaccines going disproportionately to white and
Asian populations is the opposite of how shots should be distributed if the goal is to
slow transmission of the virus. Outbreaks will continue if coverage is not widespread
in all communities, since the virus will continue to spread in those places and then
can reach others, they say.
L.A. Latino, Black seniors fall behind in COVID-19 vaccine access compared
with whites
“It’s going to hinder our ability to bring things under control,” said UC Riverside
medical sociologist Richard Carpiano.
Carpiano said that it’s common for a new health treatment or tool to not be equitably
distributed, leaving disparities in who gets the new protection.
Distrust of the medical community among Black residents as well as a dearth of

healthcare providers in certain neighborhoods could be part of what’s driving the
trends, he said. Latinos might be reluctant to trust a government program or put their
name in a database.
“It’s sadly unsurprising to me that we’re starting to see these inequities start to
emerge in vaccination rates by race,” Carpiano said.
At Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Hilda Solis is expected

to propose that the county Department of Public Health allocate more vaccine to
independent pharmacies, faith-based organizations, schools and local clinics in
communities of color by the end of February.
Some of these clinics have received minuscule amounts of vaccine. Clínica Monseñor
Romero in Boyle Heights, which predominantly serves Spanish-speaking Latino and
Indigenous people from Mexico and Central America, recently received only 100
doses of the Moderna vaccine from the county to treat its patient population of
12,000 people.
L.A. community clinic in hard-hit Latino neighborhood only gets 100 vaccines
for its 12,000 patients
Solis, who chairs the board, said in her motion that equitable allotment of the
COVID-19 vaccines is vital to curb the pandemic.
Early reports from COVID-19 vaccination sites have shown that language barriers are
among the challenges that prevent effective vaccine administration to more than 4
million county residents who need healthcare services in a language other than
English, Solis said.
The county’s vaccine rollout plan initially depended largely on healthcare providers
serving as vaccine providers, meaning communities of color with a lack of doctor’s
offices, chain pharmacies and clinics had far fewer vaccination sites than higher
income communities.
“We must ensure that all people in Los Angeles County, regardless of race, language,
documentation status, income or zip code, can get vaccinated if we hope to ever
achieve a truly healthy Los Angeles,” Solis said.
Times staff writer Cindy Carcamo contributed to this report.
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Jaclyn Cosgrove
Jaclyn Cosgrove is the L.A. County government reporter at the Los Angeles Times.
Her coverage focuses primarily on human services, including mental health, child
welfare, homelessness, criminal justice reform and indigent care. Cosgrove is
originally from Arpelar, Okla., and graduated from Oklahoma State University. Send
her tips privately on Signal at (213) 222-6625.
Soumya Karlamangla
Soumya Karlamangla has been a reporter at the Los Angeles Times focusing on
health issues since 2013. She was raised in Thousand Oaks and graduated from UC
Berkeley with degrees in biology and English literature.
Colleen Shalby
Colleen Shalby is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at PBS
NewsHour in Washington, D.C. She’s a graduate of George Washington University
and a native of Southern California.
Rong-Gong Lin II
Rong-Gong Lin II is a metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in

covering statewide earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bay
Area native is a graduate of UC Berkeley and started at the Los Angeles Times in
2004.
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4/20/2021 Black and Latino residents in L.A.

lag behind in COVID-19 vaccines - Los Angeles Times

Black and Latino residents in L.A. County lag behind in getting

The disparities in vaccination rates have been seen statewide.

The state is working on addressing that issue by allocating specific blocks of

healthcare providers, among other factors that make residents vulnerable to

Distrust of the medical community among Black residents as well as a dearth of

At Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Hilda Solis is expected

achieve a truly healthy Los Angeles,” Solis said.

Times staff writer Cindy Carcamo contributed to this report.

The perils of parenting through a pandemic

Berkeley with degrees in biology and English literature.

Rong-Gong Lin II is a metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in

L.A. plans nearly $1 billion in spending to address homelessness under

As of April 20, 6:21 p.m. Pacific

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