Oregon Weighs Race-Based Vaccine Preferences

Reason ^ | January 26, 2021 | Jacob Grier

[karpov]

States have many factors to consider when allocating their scarce vaccine doses: the age of recipients, medical conditions that put people at risk, and jobs that put workers in contact with the public, to name a few. A committee in Oregon is considering an unusual recommendation to allocate vaccines by race. The proposal is intended to address inequities but would invite legal challenges to a vaccination program that has already been off to a rocky start.

The state's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee is a group of 27 individuals tasked with devising "a vaccine sequencing plan focused on health equity to ensure the needs of systemically affected populations, including communities of color, tribal communities and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, are met." The committee's members include representatives from health providers as well as community groups such as the Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition and the Somali American Council of Oregon. Although decision making responsibility ultimately lies with the Oregon Health Authority and Governor Kate Brown, the state has pledged to follow the committee's recommendations.

The committee concluded its first meeting in early January unable to agree even on endorsing the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines. (Both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are remarkably effective.) At the most recent meeting on January 21, the committee deliberated who should be next in line for vaccinations after healthcare workers, senior care residents, teachers, and several other groups.

[Vendome]

[jdsteel]

Ahem...Tuskegee.

https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

We’re from the government and we’re here to help.

[Pirate Ragnar]

So a black 18 year old should have preference over an 80 year old with lung problems?

[dljordan]

” I’ve only got 3 more left here on FR. Love you guys!”

Can I have your guns and ammo?