The Vaccine Is Here. Are U.S. Cities Ready?
The largest mass immunization in U.S. history will be a daunting logistical and public education challenge. Here’s how cities are preparing to play their part.
A nurse gives a free flu shot to a patient at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit in November. In many cities, seasonal flu clinics offered a trial run for Covid vaccine distribution.
Photographer: Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
In November, Washington, D.C.’s health department conducted a survey of 3,000 district residents to understand how many would be willing to receive the forthcoming Covid-19 vaccine. The results suggested that local public health authorities had a lot of convincing to do: Overall, 44% of respondents who identified as Black and African American said they would not accept a vaccine, along with 11% of those identified as Hispanic or Latino.
The results for healthcare workers also indicated a trust gap, despite their greater vulnerability to the virus: 46% of healthcare workers who identify as black or African American and 10% of those who are Hispanic or Latino would not get the vaccine, they said. Potential side effects, safety and the speed at which the vaccine was made were their biggest concerns.