Is Connecticut’s Vaccine Rollout Inequitable?

Steady Habits: A CT Mirror Podcast

Connecticut continues to be among the leading states in getting its residents Covid vaccine shots. The most recent CDC data show that only two states have administered first doses to a higher percentage of its population. Gov. Ned Lamont says the state is in a race. "We are racing to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we can, ahead of what could be this super contagious strain," he said in his COVID briefing last week.

Most of the state’s healthcare personnel, first responders, and many in long-term facilities have gotten the shot, and those 75 and older - not already in that group - are getting theirs now (although, as the Mirror reported this week, that’s proven to be more difficult than many seniors would like).

But as Connecticut moves toward its next phase of vaccinations, those 65 and older, there’s a big issue looming: residents in that age group are overwhelmingly white, which means younger Black and Latino residents - including those working in jobs considered essential - will have to wait.

And data show the threat to those younger workers of color is roughly equal to that of older white residents who are slated to get the next doses. The Mirror’s analysis shows that the COVID mortality rate for a 65-year-old white person is comparable to that of a 55-year-old Black person and a 60-year-old Hispanic person.

That equity issue is what CT Mirror reporters Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Kasturi Pananjady and Jenna Carlesso uncover in their story today. While the state’s age-based plan makes efficiency a priority, it raises the question: Is Connecticut’s vaccine rollout leaving behind Black and Latino residents?

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