Vermont Governor condemns ‘racist’ response to state by prioritizing vaccinating minority communities

Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) this week condemned the “racist” response he received to the state by prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination for minority communities.

Scott issued a statement on Monday defending the state’s decision to prioritize blacks, indigenous people and others of color for vaccines. Vermont is currently limiting the eligibility of the widespread vaccine to people aged 40 and over, but on Thursday it opened eligibility for people aged 16 and over.

The governor first announced the eligibility decision Last Tuesday as an effort to close the gap in vaccination rates between white and colored populations. He said that 20.2 percent of people in minority communities received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, compared with 33.4 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

However, Scott said on Monday that his office and the Vermont Department of Health were subject to “hateful attacks” because of the decision.

“The legacy of racism in America and Vermont still generates a lot of anger and fear. Recently, my office, the Department of Health and those individuals who work hard to vaccinate us, have been subjected to scathing and inappropriate comments on social media and other forums regarding this decision, ”he said.

“This is also unacceptable. And it is proof that many Americans, and many Vermonters, still have a lot to learn about the impacts of racism in our country and how it has influenced public policies over the years, ”he continued.

Scott added that there was no excuse for attacking other residents, especially with “comments including racist libel.” He noted that hateful words and prejudices can end tragically.

“Words are important. I encourage everyone to consider the meaning of their words from someone else’s point of view, as well as the consequences of how our own words can impact the well-being of others, ”said Scott.

“At a time when technology is one of the only ways that many can maintain the connection, I beg everyone to respect each other,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long recognized that communities of color are in greater risk to experience serious results due to COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic white populations.

However, among those who received at least one dose of the vaccine, 65.7 percent are white, according to CDC data, far surpassing communities of color.

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