Have vaccine equity plans succeeded in hard-hit communities?
After mounting evidence highlighted COVID-19's disproportionate effect on people of color, health officials vowed to achieve a more equitable vaccination effort. The answer is yes and no, according to MIT Technology Review. The publication said efforts to boost vaccine equity have varied across the U.S., with mixed outcomes. For example, Mississippi has a larger proportion of Black residents than any other state and saw huge racial disparities early on in the vaccine rollout. Now, the state has almost reached parity, with Black churches playing a large role in encouraging vaccinations, according to Mississippi Today. Philadelphia offers another success story. Penn Medicine and Mercy Catholic Medical Center partnered with Black community leaders to create a program that allows residents to text or call from a landline to make a vaccine appointment after realizing the existing online system was difficult for older people or those without internet access. The program vaccinated 550 people at its first vaccine event, which was held at a local church. In other places, many hard-hit communities still haven't received effective communication about vaccines, or face practical barriers such as a lack of transportation or vaccine sites having limited hours. In Washington, D.C., the racial gap in COVID-19 cases has increased since the vaccine rollout, according to the report. And in California, special vaccine sign-up codes meant for people of color were misused by wealthier residents, many of whom were working from home. Here are several strategies health experts shared with MIT Technology Review to improve vaccine equity efforts:  Involve community leaders  Address access barriers  Make vaccine data transparent and accessible so leaders know where to focus equity efforts  Maintain persistent communication with hesitant communities in case interest changes  To view the full article, click here.