by Grace Arnn
The vaccination gap between white people and minority populations is closing as vaccine accessibility increases suffice minority groups’ experienced healthcare and COVID-related disparities throughout the pandemic.
“Minorities tend to have a higher ratio of their populations working in service-related jobs,” Mark Williams, Ph.D., dean of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, said. “As such, they could not isolate at home as more white-collar related workers. And white-collar related jobs tend to be more white than Black, Hispanic or any other minority.”
Service-industry jobs are high-exposure and invite virus transmission due to their social and in-person nature. Moreover, service-industry jobs rarely offer health insurance, which decreased the possibility of employees visiting a physician, Williams said.
“Also, it’s come to light more recently, from some sociological studies that have been done is that having health insurance plays a big part in whether or not someone is vaccinated,” Williams said. “And part of the reason for that is because people tend to rely on their primary physicians for advice on getting vaccinated and oftentimes get vaccinated at their physician’s office.”
However, some of the jobs that were originally COVID-transmission hubs are now requiring vaccinations. Meat-processing companies such as Tyson enforced vaccinations among their employees, particularly affecting the Hispanic population in northwest Arkansas, Williams said. In fact, the vaccination rate of Hispanic individuals has exceeded the white vaccination rate in Washington county- the home of Tyson. Other companies, such as Walmart, have instilled employer-mandated vaccinations, as well.
“They’re simply being given no choice if they want to keep their employment,” Williams said.
Furthermore, state-based community groups and UAMS have provided on-site vaccination clinics to specifically reach Hispanic and Marshallese populations in northwest Arkansas and other populations in the Arkansas Delta, Williams said.
A solid level of trust is important in providing COVID-related information, education and vaccinations, Zac Brown, the assistant director of communications at Pat Walker Health Center, said. A lack of insurance or distrust in the healthcare system can discourage people from visiting physicians or offices. Rather, specific institutions, that minority groups trust, have found success bringing COVID-related resources to their communities. For example, some African American communities have utilized churches as vaccination sites, Brown explained.
Translation-based outreach has increased the accessibility of COVID-related resources, too. In northwest Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council has paired with the state health department to provide educational and promotional COVID-vaccine information in Spanish, Marshallese and other languages, Brown said. When dispersing information, reaching diverse communities goes beyond simple translation efforts because the information provided in English must be culturally-sound, as well.
“We are always getting and sharing information, but we are also working with the local agencies, healthcare providers, and sharing information about the vaccines,” said Margarita Solorzano, the executive director of Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas.
“Also, making sure that the communications that any of these agencies, either at a state level or local level, are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the immigrant and Latino community.”
The Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas, which is located in Springdale, Arkansas, is a part of the Latino task force at the state level that reviews COVID-related information and daily statistics to reach the Spanish-speaking community, Solorzano said.
Though COVID cases have dropped over the past few months, the mortality rates have been high. Increased mortality rates may be influencing the increase in vaccination rates, too, Williams said.
“It’s something to say that people are simply realizing how serious the pandemic is,” Williams said.
