Despite Progress, Vaccination Gaps By Race And Town Remain

Different barriers help explain why vaccination rates are lower in certain communities, and while we don’t analyze those in this short brief, it’s worth noting two broad categories: access barriers and vaccine hesitancy. Once an individual becomes eligible for the vaccine, access barriers can impede getting an actual shot. Common barriers include not having enough vaccination sites accessible by transit, sites having schedules not amenable to individuals’ work and family commitments, technology challenges related to online registration, and information not well-distributed across multiple languages. Further, the process of pre-registering and registering for vaccines can be difficult and confusing, particularly for those who are not native English speakers or lack a computer/smartphone. It’s likely that many of these barriers are more prevalent in lower-income Gateway Cities and help explain some of the lower vaccination rates we find in this analysis.

Additionally, some people eligible for a vaccine may hesitate to get one due to fear of side effects, historical and current neglect by the healthcare system, or a sense that the risk of COVID infection is not that high. Much of the media attention on vaccine hesitancy has focused on Black and Latinx hesitancy, but race is not the only variable here. A recent statewide poll from the Boston Globe and Suffolk University found that 34 percent and 30 percent of Black and Latinx residents, respectively, were hesitant to take the vaccine compared to 19 percent of White and 15 percent of Asian residents that expressed hesitancy. But the poll found even higher shares of hesitancy among those without a high school degree (39 percent) and registered Republicans (43 percent). Consistent with these poll results, a recent analysis from Rich Parr of MassINC Polling Group finds that Massachusetts towns where Trump performed better in the 2020 election are lagging on vaccinations. Ultimately, these factors also interrelate and get at the need for well-coordinated, targeted outreach programs.

The state launched a vaccine equity program in February that seeks to remove barriers to vaccination in the 20 cities and towns that experienced the highest COVID-19 average daily numbers and high levels of “social vulnerability,” including Lawrence, New Bedford and Fall River. However, advocates such as the Vaccine Equity Now! coalition emphasize that this is not enough and have demanded that Governor Baker take additional steps to ensure vaccine equity, including better outreach to targeted communities, particularly with improved language access for those who speak a language other than English, and the appointment of a vaccine czar “with authority and accountability to address vaccine inequities.” In order to control transmission of the virus and to begin to remedy the stark disparities in infection and death—and speed the entire Commonwealth toward herd immunity—Black and Latinx communities need the resources to enable their residents to access vaccination and to inform themselves about vaccines.

Those inequities could become even more evident as age and co-morbidity factors fade in importance when access is broadened to all adults statewide on April 19. Once vaccine access is expanded, any racial, regional or economic gaps will be even more readily evident. Massachusetts has made progress on the number of doses administered and has made efforts to narrow racial/ethnic disparities in vaccination rates. But clearly, the work is far from over.