Seattle Hospital Cancels Covid-19 Vaccine Appointments After Equity Concerns

Seattle Hospital Cancels Covid-19 Vaccine Appointments After Equity Concerns

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“Shortly after releasing consultations, we decided that we needed broader communication to the general public about the vaccine markings available, as we want to reach the widest possible range,” the hospital said on Thursday in a statement sent to CNN.

People who want to be vaccinated signed up on Tuesday through MyChart, an online account used by people with an existing patient relationship with the hospital. But some health care providers in Washington state have been criticized in recent weeks for notifying the vaccine for the first time to people who had a previous history with the facility.

Demand for vaccines has exceeded supply in most states, and officials say the already limited distribution is not being made in proportion to the black and Latino communities. As demands for increased production and administration grow, some organizations are also working to ensure that doses are made available more evenly.
New York officials plan to redouble efforts to correct racial disparities in vaccination rates

Governor Jay Inslee reiterated at a news conference on Thursday that health care providers should not give preference to people when requesting vaccine appointments.

“It is just wrong to offer special privileges in this regard,” said Inslee. “Everyone deserves fair access to this vaccine.”

Seattle Children’s has notified people affected by the cancellations and will offer future consultations through its public website.

Several states are struggling with the issue of equal distribution of vaccines.

In Mississippi, state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said on Thursday that there are barriers for some residents.

“We found that there are barriers, similar to our pre-existing disparity barriers that have existed for decades, and will be no different for vaccination against coronavirus than for access to healthcare for any other reason,” he said.

Black Americans make up 37% of the state’s population, but only 19% of those who received the vaccine.

“This is a huge problem,” said Dobbs.

Dobbs noted that drive-thru sites helped nearly 40% of people over 75 and almost 30% of people over 65 received their first dose in Mississippi.

“These numbers will really pay big dividends in the future, not just in mortality, but in hospitalization,” he said. “But if we also don’t have a parallel focus on addressing health disparities, we won’t really get the health gains we hope to achieve.”

Lauren Mascarenhas of CNN contributed to this report.

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