New Vaccine Data On Race, Ethnicity Show Majority Of Shots Have Gone To White Minnesotans
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- New vaccination data by race and ethnicity shows a discrepancy between communities of color and white Minnesotans, but Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health say the new information will help inform decision-making going forward so distribution of the vaccine is equitable.
Black, Latino and Indigenous populations have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, but so far white Minnesotans make up more than 90% of the vaccinations in the state so far, according to new data released Friday. That is a rate that exceeds the white population, which is 81.6%.
Black Minnesotans represent 5% of the population but just 3% of the vaccinations; Latinos in the state account for just 1.7% of the vaccinations, while making up 6% of the population. (Note: The data on the website has limitations due to inconsistencies or missing information on health records so the it only breaks down this demographical information for 83% of the more than 975,000 who have received at least one dose.)
MORE: Access MDH's COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard Here
Gov. Tim Walz during a news conference at the Vikings training facility in Eagan Friday addressed the disparities, saying systemic inequities in health care are a contributing factor.
"First of all, we focused first and foremost in the healthcare professions that tend to be predominantly white and that's another social issue we can talk about," he said. "Because of healthcare inequities in the first place, there are a lot more white folks that live over 65 than there are communities of color. So yes, I'm concerned."
Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcom earlier Friday said the new data will help inform decisions to ensure equitable distribution. The state will distribute doses to community clinics and pharmacies and stand up mobile clinics to help bridge gaps and distribute to "hard to reach" populations.
"We care deeply about ensuring that each and every Minnesotan in every community from every walk of life has fair and equitable access to the vaccine," Malcom said. "We're going to use this groundbreaking breaking data partnership and the insight into the data it provides to help us drive improved and increasingly targeted strategies."
The new data feature on the dashboard comes as the state nears one million Minnesotans receiving at least one shot. More than 516,000 people have completed vaccinations, according to data last updated Wednesday.
Federal and state officials and health care providers praise the newly approved single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a game-changer to accelerate the rollout of inoculations. Minnesota received more than 45,000 of Johnson & Johnson this week, 13,400 of which is earmarked for a mass vaccination site for Minnesotans 65 and older at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Center—the Vikings training facility—over the next few days.
Walz earlier this week said the state's timeline for vaccinations will likely accelerate as a result of the new drug and a partnership between Johnson & Johnson and pharmaceutical rival Merck to produce more of it.
"When President Biden said at first the end of July, and then he said the end of May, I expect that to happen," Walz said. "It's going to be your turn sooner than we thought."