BOSTON, MA – Today, 32 racial justice, immigrant justice, civil rights and public health organizations that make up the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition sent a letter to Governor Baker requesting an urgent meeting on vaccine equity in Massachusetts. The letter comes more than a month after the Coalition first issued a set of five demands to the Governor to ensure an equitable vaccine rollout. The Coalition would like to discuss the Governor’s progress on meeting their goals and ways to address the significant inequities in the state’s vaccine distribution plan, particularly for Black, Latinx, Asian and immigrant residents.

“It’s been more than a month since Black, Latinx, Asian and immigrant leaders of the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition issued five demands to Governor Baker to ensure an equitable vaccine rollout in Massachusetts,” said Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition Co-Chairs Dr. Atyia Martin of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, Eva Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and Carlene Pavlos of the Massachusetts Public Health Association.

“While we appreciate the progress that the Governor has made, particularly the additional investments in his Vaccine Equity Initiative, our Coalition still has outstanding questions and concerns. The fact of the matter is that despite the Governor’s rhetoric and efforts, vaccine access in Massachusetts remains deeply inequitable along racial lines, particularly in the communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. We cannot wait another day for answers from the Baker administration, as people continue to lose their lives each and every day. We urge Governor Baker to meet with the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition immediately to strategize on how we can close these gaps.”

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