• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • WATCH NEWS
    • WHAT’S ON FOX
  • ABOUT
    • Meet Our Team
      • Our Journalists
      • Sales & Programming
    • Contact WSFX
      • Sales & Programming
  • Montford Point
  • Welcome Home

Fox Wilmington WSFX-TV

Wilmington, NC | Local news Weather and Sports

  • Local News
    • Unsung Heroes
      • Nominate an Unsung Hero
  • Local Weather
  • National
  • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Panthers Game Schedule
  • Politics
    • NC Voter Information
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • What’s on TV?
  • MORE…
    • Technology
    • Science
    • Lifestyle
    • What’s Happening Wilmington

Community leaders combat racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access

September 16, 2021 By WECT

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – We’re more than 18 months into the pandemic and the U.S. has reached another milestone. According to John Hopkins University, 1 in 500 Americans have died from COVID-19 since the nation reported its first case.

Death rates are higher in marginalized communities.

According to The Washington Post, the numbers reveal racial inequalities for COVID-19 deaths in people age 40-64.

So far, the virus has killed 1 in 1,300 white people, 1 in 480 black people, 1 in 390 Hispanic people and 1 in 240 Native Americans.

Multiple vaccination clinics that target marginalized communities have been open throughout Eastern North Carolina, but attendance to those clinics has significantly declined recently.

Greenville councilwoman Monica Daniels believes historically marginalized communities have always been hesitant to get any vaccine.

“I think historically, black and brown individuals have not been valued,” Daniels said.

“We’ve been used more as experiments and that is something that when new things come out, that is the first thing that comes to mind.”

Meanwhile, Tonya Foreman, the founder of Citizens Advocating for Racial Equity and Equality (CAREE), thinks vaccine hesitancy in marginalized communities is rooted from other reasons, including the possibility of getting blood clots from the Johnson & Johnson shot.

“I think that the stats are due to a lack of information and education,” Foreman said.

“The difference that we made in our organization in the community, from January to April 15, our average for our vaccination clinics was 155 people. After the J&J debacle it went from 155 to 75.”

Foreman says her organization has had boots on the ground since January to put shots in the arms of those who need it most. Now their goal is provide booster shots.

“We’re just waiting for the approval, and then we’ll start setting vaccination clinic dates,” Foreman said.

Foreman goes on to say that the goal is to host a booster vaccination clinic at the Pitt County Health Department on Oct. 9. An official time has not been announced yet.

For information on vaccine clinics near you, CLICK HERE.

Copyright 2021 WITN. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Special Coverage: Coronavirus

Primary Sidebar

 

Follow Us On Facebook



TRENDING NOW

Here’s your chance to give back on #GivingTuesday

History of Legos: Fun facts to know about the ‘Toy of the Century’

Alec Baldwin being convicted of involuntary manslaughter will be an ‘uphill battle’: Legal experts explain why

Some 20% of Americans are taking sleep medications, CDC says: ‘Alarming’ data

Gisele Bündchen sizzles in swimsuit for cheeky photoshoot while Tom Brady enjoys time with their daughter

One displaced from home after fire late Friday night in Elizabethtown

Footer

PUBLIC FILE INFO

Individuals with disabilities who have questions about the content of our public file or website may contact Isabella Gano by phone at
(910) 343-8826 or by email at Isabella.gano@foxwilmington.com

 
 » WSFX FCC Public File
»EEO Report
»Closed Captioning

SITE MAP

  • Local Headlines
  • Coronavirus
  • Local Weather
  • National Headlines
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Health

WSFX TV

  • Livestream Newscast
  • Meet Our Team
  • Sales & Programming
  • WELCOME HOME
  • Go With The Pros
  • Medically Speaking
  • WHAT’S ON FOX

Copyright © 2023 · American Spirit Media LLC · WSFX TV · Wilmington NC · Terms of Service · Privacy Policy