Data show vaccine variance by race

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Jun. 18—The COVID-19 vaccination rate among Pennsylvania's Black community lags significantly behind the overall percentage of the commonwealth's population that has received the medicine.

That trend exists locally, too, in Cambria and Bedford counties for people who have gotten at least one dose. But in Somerset County, the percentage of Black people having been vaccinated exceeds the rate for the overall population.

First doses received:

—Pennsylvania, excluding Philadelphia County and out-of-state residents: all races 59.5%, white 51.4%, 34.8% Black

—Cambria County: all races 50.1%, white 43.5%, Black 20.4%.

—Bedford County: all races 33.9%, white 29.8%, Black 16.2%.

—Somerset County: all races 44.7%, white 37.8%, Black 46.2%.

Overall, Bedford ranks third from the bottom among the state's counties for first doses administered percentage-wise, according to information released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for the first time in a new format on Thursday. Cambria and Somerset are both in the lower half of counties for overall population having received at least one dose, based on percentage.

"I don't have a good reason for it," NAACP Johnstown Branch President Alan Cashaw said. "These are all personal choices."

Cashaw cited inconvenience, past racism in medical practices against Black people and a thought by some that they are not at risk as possible factors.

"I'm not sure what's driving that number," Cashaw said.

Jill Henning, an associate professor of biology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, said society has not "done a very good job in helping the African American community in health care on a regular basis. We have to win their trust back."

Henning also blamed "coordinated disinformation tactics" for creating hesitancy about getting the vaccine that is now readily available in numerous pharmacies and other locations.

Henning, in her role with In This Together Cambria, provided information about vaccines during the Juneteenth celebration in Johnstown's Central Park on Thursday. Cashaw said public events and the media are good ways to inform the Black community about vaccines.

"We probably ought to bring it up in church more often," Cashaw said. "And then we don't have a media group that talks to Black folks, per se. Like we don't have a WAMO (a Pittsburgh radio station with a large Black audience) or something that's a local radio station that they all listen to. We don't have some of the tools that they have in major cities, like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh."

Henning emphasized the need to get out information and to also set up clinics where people can get vaccines in their neighborhoods.

"You can't expect them to come to the water," Henning said. "You need to take the water to them."

The DOH's new format also provided statistics about ethnicity, gender and age of vaccine recipients.

"We are continually working to ensure the data provided is the most accurate information available," Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam said in a released statement.

All total, 11.3 million vaccine doses, including first shots, second shots and single-shot doses, have been administered in Pennsylvania.

Also, on Thursday, the Department of Health announced that 277 new positive cases and 15 COVID-19-related deaths were identified. No new deaths were reported in the Cambria, Somerset, Bedford region. Five cases were added in Somerset, along with four apiece in Cambria and Bedford.

The Department of Health announced it will not provide any COVID-19 updates until Monday.