Michigan’s top doctor says the state is planning to prioritize the most marginalized in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine.
Black Americans have been receiving coronavirus vaccinations at lower rates than whites. To address these disparities, Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun says the state will be allocating vaccines based on the CDC’s social vulnerability index.
“It's basically a factor that brings in things like race, language, disability status, income, educational attainment, and we actually use that factor to allocate doses across the state,” said Khaldun.
Khaldun spoke at a virtual town hall Wednesday evening, addressing vaccine skepticism in the Black community.
With this equity minded plan, Khaldun hopes to reduce and flatten disparities in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. In Michigan, these communities have been predominantly Black and Latinx.