Democrats are once again being shown to be hypocrites. As they call for “equity” in vaccine distribution, they aren’t practicing what they preach.
California Vaccinations
California Governor Gavin Newsom has long called equity his “North Star” when it comes to vaccinating citizens in his state. He even created a partnership between the state and federal governments to establish vaccination sites in working class neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Oakland, and tasked insurance company Blue Shield and hospital chain Kaiser Permanente with centralizing California’s patchwork vaccine system.
The governor’s plan for ‘equitable vaccination’ reportedly includes setting aside vaccines for “disproportionately impacted communities and ensuring that providers who serve these communities are part of the network,” according to state vaccine spokesman Darrel Ng.
According to some California clinics, the vaccines aren’t going to the poor, the vulnerable, or the minority populations. Officials at these community health centers, which are focused on ‘health equity,’ have reported that they have not received enough doses for their patients, who are typically members of the poor, at-risk groups that Newsom supposedly wants to focus his vaccination plan on.
WRIC, a local news outlet in San Francisco reports:
Teresa Parada is exactly the kind of person equity-minded California officials say they want to vaccinate: She’s a retired factory worker who speaks little English and lives in a hard-hit part of Los Angeles County.
But Parada, 70, has waited weeks while others her age flock to Dodger Stadium or get the coronavirus shot through large hospital networks. The place where she normally gets medical care, AltaMed, is just now receiving enough supply to vaccinate her later this month.
Parada said TV reports show people lining up to get shots, but “I see only vaccines going to Anglos.”
“It’s rare that I see a Latino there for the vaccine. When will it be our turn?” she said.
Many are pointing out that, instead of sending these vaccines to clinics that already serve the poor and underprivileged, California is opening up pop-up and mobile clinics at churches, schools, and work sites. This has reportedly caused some problems for their equity plan, as African Americans, who make up 6% of California’s population, have only received 3% of vaccine doses, and Latinos, who make up 39% of the state’s population, have received 17%.
Andie Martinez Patterson, vice president of government affairs at the California Primary Care Association, noted that, although these large-scale health systems are able to vaccinate people quickly, they are unlikely to reach California residents who are members of the targeted communities.
Many clients of the already established clinics “speak a language other than English, work long hours, lack transportation and want to go to the medical care professionals they trust,” reports WRIC.
Hypocrisy
Calling for ‘equity,’ then making decisions that make it more difficult for people to get the vaccine is exactly what you would expect from a far-left governor like Gavin Newsom. Now, even people who believe in his plan are calling him out.
“Everybody is working toward equity, yet it doesn’t look equitable. At all,” said Jodie Wingo, interim president of the community health association for Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
“We don’t have transportation. We don’t speak English. We don’t understand the technology you’re asking us to use to register and get in line. So, can we vaccinate the 65 and older population in the comfort of their own facilities?” said Isabel Becerra, chief executive of the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers.
