The COVID-19 vaccine will help keep communities healthy and safe and holds promise to bring an end to the pandemic that has had the most severe impacts on Black, Latinx, Indigenous, AAPI, immigrant, and low-income people. Systemic racism created the conditions that put people of color at greater risk for contracting COVID-19 and experiencing more severe health outcomes, and despite this urgency, California’s vaccination effort so far has fallen short of equity goals. We must reach and authentically engage local communities to remove barriers to access and address concerns to increase vaccine acceptance.
This year, NCG’s Bay Area Health Funders Group is focusing its programming on the actions philanthropy can take to support a successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine that centers equity. We hope these articles inspire you to delve in deeply on how to ensure access to the vaccine for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and people living with disabilities.
1. Folks are still nervous about it, but you've removed almost all of these barriers for them.
Beating the Pavement to Vaccinate the Underrepresented — And Protect Everyone, California Healthline
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2. We need the universal goal of vaccination, but also recognize that we need to go to the hotspots.
Q&A with Denise Herd on equity-based vaccine distribution, Othering & Belonging Institute
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3. We're dealing with an untrustworthy health care system, and we're dealing with people's reaction to that health care system.
A Shot in the Dark, Code Switch
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4. Just having something on a website isn’t going to get farmworkers somewhere.
Eager to be vaccinated, California farmworkers face obstacles, CalMatters
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5. We turn to people we can trust. Black folks.
COVID Black, W. Kamau Bell
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6. Four ways philanthropy can effectively partner with governments now to support equitable vaccination distribution.
How Philanthropy Can Support Equitable Vaccine Distribution, Stanford Social Innovation Review
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Bonus: But Batman, the economy!!! Vaccine equity can’t wait, Robin!
Vaccine Equity Memes, Disability Visibility Project
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