Disparate” Vaccine Distribution Hurt Hispanics in Florida

A scientific study showed that at its inception in early 2021, Florida’s covid-19 vaccination campaign launched by state authorities was successful in protecting those over 65 years of age, but failed to provide equitable access to minorities, especially Hispanics.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) analyzed in their study, published in the journal Health Affairs, how vaccine distribution worked at the Publix supermarket chain, chosen by state authorities for the task because of its large number of stores in Florida, where it is based, and found “sociodemographic disparities,” Hola News reported.

Publix was the first retail pharmacy to offer vaccines in Florida, the nation’s third most populous state with more than 21.4 million residents, and as of today also the third in the number of cumulative covid-19 cases (3.7 million since March 2020), according to Johns Hopkins University.

In Florida, more than 62,000 people have died from the new coronavirus disease since the start of the pandemic.

Researchers found that although Publix has more than 800 stores in Florida, only 23 of the state’s 67 counties were offering covid-19 vaccines in February 2021.

According to an FAU release, for the study researchers analyzed 974 zip codes from the 2019 census in Florida that provided data on education levels, ethnicity, race, and other demographic trends.