RALEIGH, N.C. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Thursday highlighting North Carolina’s focus on equity in administering COVID-19 vaccines to Black and Hispanic communities.

"From the start, North Carolina has focused on getting shots into arms in a way that's fast and fair and I applaud state health officials for the progress we’ve made," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "By building our own system and making equity a critical part of our vaccine distribution plan, we've been able to better protect our historically under served communities from this virus."

From December 2020 to April 2021, the report shows the proportion of vaccines distributed to members of the state’s Black population increased from 9% to 19% and 4% to 10% among the state’s Hispanic population.

“We’ve built equity into every aspect of our vaccine distribution,” said Dr. Mandy K. Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. “Our commitment to equitable vaccine distribution is one piece of our continued work to address and dismantle systemic and structural barriers to health equity.”

The strategies used by North Carolina, which are highlighted in the CDC's report, include:

  • Increasing vaccine supply allotments for counties with larger populations from historically marginalized communities, particularly when the state was focused on vaccinating people 65 and older

  • Outlining clear expectations that vaccine providers should be vaccinating historically marginalized populations at least proportionate to their representation in their local community

  • Promoting partnerships between vaccination providers and community- and faith-based organizations, with focused communication activities and toolkits to support access to vaccination for Black and Hispanic people

You can find more information about the state’s strategies and metrics by visiting the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service's website or by clicking here.

 

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