Maryland Reporter - Black And Brown People Need Better Access To Covid-19 Vaccine, Not More Talk
Op-Ed
By Anthony Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For your situational awareness, Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) wrote an op-ed for the Maryland Reporter today on the need for Governor Hogan to better prioritize vaccine equity and solutions Maryland can put in place right now to improve the state's consistently poor vaccine administration.
Key quotes include:
"In addition to our disorganized and fragmented approach to vaccinations, Maryland has left our most vulnerable populations behind."
"We have no other choice at this point but to take bold action and address this disparity gap. Governor Hogan's Vaccination Equity Task Force simply does not go far enough to reverse the inequities that have taken place since January."
"It's up to Maryland to get shots into arms, and the most efficient way to do that is through a centralized system and making equity the leading priority in its rollout. The current system simply does not work for working families."
"Governor Hogan must be willing and ready to allocate more vaccines to [Prince George's County, Baltimore City and Charles County] and ensure the state is prioritizing those most at risk by ensuring they are at the front of the line as local health departments waiting lists continue to grow. As we work in collaboration with hospitals and private pharmacies, shots need to be prioritized for people who need this life-saving vaccine the most, not just those who can secure appointments the easiest. And, if mass vaccination sites are going to be the foundation of the state's strategy we have to ensure appointments are actually reserved for local residents."
"States like New Mexico, West Virginia, and New Hampshire have successfully implemented centralized vaccination sign-ups and lead the rest of the country for administration. As a result of their success, multiple states are preparing to launch centralized vaccine sign-ups. I introduced legislation to streamline vaccination registrations throughout the country."
"Vaccine equity needed to be a priority for Maryland from the very beginning. Elected leaders have already offered many workable solutions to address these inequities and we haven't seen an attempt at a course correction until three months into the vaccine rollout."
Read the full piece: here
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