Health Disparities and COVID

The Department for Health and Human Services recently released a new issue brief describing health disparities by race and ethnicity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with findings showing disparities in testing, infections and hospitalizations. COVID-associated death rates were considerably higher among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and Hispanic persons compared to White persons. Mid-month, the Biden administration announced that it was investing $250 million to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among underserved populations. And an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that community health centers were successfully reaching people of color in their early vaccination efforts.