Houston Mayor Demands White People Get Less Vaccines
The Trump Administration started us on the right track to get everyone vaccinated. This is the one thing so far that Biden seems to be maintaining that Trump started. But a Houston Mayor is upset about the distribution of the vaccine. The Mayor and a few other officials feel that the vaccines should be going to minorities and fewer white people.
"Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner held a press conference Saturday pushing for COVID-19 vaccine distribution equity.
"We need to be a lot more intentional and directional," said Mayor Turner. "Equity has to be built in to all of our strategies."
The Mayor was joined by several local and state representatives. Many of the lawmakers spoke and agreed with Turner.
"We’re demanding that you rollout the vaccine as it should be rolled out, to communities of color," said Texas State Senator Borris Miles.
According to Houston’s Health Department, the majority of people severely impacted so far by COVID-19 in the city have been Black or Hispanic. However, Mayor Turner says these communities aren’t the ones receiving Coronavirus vaccines.
"We know which communities the virus is spreading in," said Dr. David Persse from Houston’s Health Department. "Therefore, it’s those communities we are obligated to spend most of our effort and time."
On Saturday, Mayor Turner told reporters that 43% of vaccine recipients so far in Houston have been white. In comparison, 21% have been Hispanic, 18% black, and 15% Asian.
"We need speed but we need equity," said Turner. "Otherwise, people of color are going to be on the back-end and the [fatality] numbers are going to continue to go up."
The vaccines should go out to those who need them regardless of color. By this point, most if not all of the firsts responders should be vaccinated and next should be the most vulnerable, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. But considering that our population is comprised of over 60% white and 30% black/Hispanic that would mean mostly white people are going to get the vaccines. Any other method of distribution would be just wrong.