A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the racial gap in COVID-19 vaccinations is nearly gone.
The survey, published Tuesday (September 27), shows that more Black Americans are getting the jab than ever before. A reported 70% of surveyed Black adults ages 18 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 71% of white adults and 73% of Hispanic adults in the survey.
The poll collected data via phone interview and included 1,519 people –- 339 Hispanic adults and 306 non-Hispanic Black adults. In total, 72% of all survey participants reported having at least one dose.
This latest data shows a marked difference from early vaccination rate data that showed a lag in COVID-19 vaccines among Black people in the US. In May, the same poll showed just 56% of Black adults and 57% of Hispanic having at least one dose of the vaccine.
Experts pointed to lack of access to the vaccine and vaccine appointments, targeted misinformation, and ongoing medical racism for much of the vaccine hesitancy among Black people.
Internationally, world leaders have called for greater equity in vaccine distribution as over-exploited nations lag significantly in getting their populations vaccinated against coronavirus.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, head of the White House’s COVID-19 Equity Task Force, told reporters the data is “very, very, encouraging,” and is thanks to “the intentional work to address those barriers.”
“These numbers represent much more than simply time passing. They tell a story of an all-of-society effort to get us to where we are today,” Nunez-Smith added.
The KFF study, Nunez-Smith noted, shows similar data as other surveys on race and vaccination rates.
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