COVID-19 vaccinations for Hispanic population in Kansas City lags behind other groups
The latest COVID-19 vaccination data shows that the percentage of those vaccinated within Kansas City’s Hispanic and Latinx communities lags behind other groups, according to the Kansas City Health Department.
The department said that those who self-reported as Hispanic have received 2.6% of the doses distributed by the health department’s clinics during the week ending March 11, despite making up 11% of the population.
White people accounted for 38% of the vaccines, Black people made up 24%, Asians were at 5% and the rest was unknown.
The previous week, the figure for the Hispanic group was 3.3%.
The disparity is concerning, the health department said.
Hispanic people in Kansas City are 2.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people and 1.8 times more likely than Black people, according to deputy director Frank Thompson.
Jorge Coromac, the executive director or the Westside Community Action Network, said there are several challenges when it comes to the vaccine including access and education.
In early February, the center hosted an vaccination event targeting seniors in partnership with Truman Medical Center.
“It was so great to see 100% of them coming back on March 8 and 9, so that 300 people got it,” Coromac said.
But some people may face transportation barriers or prioritize going to work to support their family over scheduling a vaccine appointment.
And those in the undocumented community fear seeking any type of health care, including getting the vaccine, because they have to provide personal and contact information.
Coromac said the organization’s efforts have also focused on getting information out in both Spanish and English.
But there is still a lot of misinformation circulating, which has caused people to reject or hold out on getting the shot.
About one-third of the people they reach out to by phone report hesitancy, Coromac said.
“We really want to provide a good service to the community,” he said. “The more people vaccinated, the better. We continue educating our community, we continue educating all of our clients to be able to participate in (vaccination).”
During the past year, Truman Medical Center’s efforts have focused on ZIP codes with health disparities, said community relations director Niki Donawa. The hospital has partnered with local organizations including the Mattie Rhodes Center and the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation to increase access to coronavirus testing and now vaccines.
The hospital has taken steps to protect patients who may be undocumented that attend a vaccine event and made sure that those events are staffed with Spanish speaking health care workers.
“With the high positivity rate and with the hospitalization rates, with the death rates that have occurred in communities of minorities, it has to be intentional that we go and reach them and make sure that they have access,” Donawa said.
About 20% of Kansas City’s population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according the the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Statewide, the number is slightly higher at 22%.
Gov. Mike Parson has faced criticism for the allocation structure with officials including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas calling on him to send more doses to urban areas.
Last weekend, the state’s first “mega vaccination” site at Arrowhead Stadium inoculated more than 7,250 people.
