An NPR story this week highlighted the low rates of COVID-19 vaccinations among Black and Latinx populations and why they remain low. It’s not because of vaccination hesitancy, it’s due to a lack of cultural competency. The story reports that despite massive demand, “the latest data show that 23% of vaccines are going to Black residents.”
“While overall vaccination rates in Philadelphia are beginning to slow in the last couple of weeks, providers there — and echoed nationally — say the disparity between racial groups isn’t the result of people who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Instead, they say barriers such as the location of vaccination sites, online-only sign-ups, appointment scheduling, transportation and other planning and access issues are to blame,” reads the article.
Additional barriers to consider are the fact that immigrants may feel unsafe going to clinics “where National Guard members in military fatigues greeted them out front.”
At Change Matrix (CM), we not only encourage culturally competent work but abide by it as a constant practice that encourages mindfulness both in our own work and that of others. A deeper grasp of how services, particularly health care-related ones, are perceived and accessible to communities is vital to effective work.
Read here how we’ve incorporated it into other elements of our work.
