Today, the newly-formed “Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition” issued a set of five demands to Governor Baker to address the serious racial inequities plaguing the state’s vaccine rollout. The coalition, comprised of 11 civil rights, immigrant justice, and public health organizations, raised the alarm as vaccination rates for White residents are far outpacing those for Black and Latinx residents that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 has exacerbated the already deep structural inequities in our country, resulting in a disproportionate impact on communities of color and immigrant communities. These disparities underscore why our vaccine rollout must be centered on those who have been most impacted by this crisis,” said Eva Millona, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. “Our coalition has come together to urge our governor to act with the urgency and on the scale that this crisis demands to embrace a more equitable vaccine rollout plan – one that includes input from Black, brown, and immigrant leaders. We look forward to working with Governor Baker to turn these recommendations into reality.” 

State data show that Black and Latinx residents have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But now with vaccines finally available, White residents have received the vast majority of the state’s vaccine doses. As of last week, White residents had received 12 times more doses than Black residents and 16 times more doses than Latinx residents.

The coalition today called on the Governor to:

1. Direct $10 million to trusted community organizations for outreach and engagement in communities of color.
2. Immediately implement the promised 20% additional doses for the most impacted communities.
3. Set clear goals and track vaccine benchmarks that mirror the disproportionate impact on Black and Latinx residents.
4. Improve language access and cultural competence across all aspects of vaccine outreach and administration.
5. Appoint a vaccine czar with authority and accountability to address vaccine inequities.

Read the full release.

2/17/21 Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition Press Conference Recording

Five Demands for Governor Baker: English | Spanish | Vietnamese