The Tennessee Department of Health is setting aside a portion of its COVID-19 vaccines for communities that are poorer and have more people of color, but one minority leader says that is not good enough.
After this current first phase, the state will reserve 5 percent of the vaccine for those areas, CBS News reported.
Gloria Sweet-Love, president of the NAACP Tennessee State Conference, told CBS News’ Anne-Marie Green that 5 percent is not enough, even for a “small” county where she lives — Haywood.
Green focused on how Tennessee is putting healthcare workers and seniors “at the front of the line” ahead of minorities, who were disproportionally affected by the virus.
Sweet-Love said she worried that even before having a vaccine, people are not taking the virus seriously. For example, she criticized churches in her area who are meeting in-person and exposing people through singing.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is distributing the vaccine.
The state’s current distribution steps are available here. The first Pfizer doses (55,560 total) were given starting last Thursday, while the fist Moderna doses (115,000) became available Monday.
Tennessee’s overarching vaccine distribution plan is available here.
The plan says “high-exposure” healthcare workers, first responders and nursing home residents have been receiving the first doses this month. The state says it has Phases 1-4, but within Phase 1, there are three subphases, labeled 1a1 (the current stage), 1a2 and 1b. Phase 1a2 is additional healthcare workers. Phase 1b is for people with high-risk comorbidities such as cancer, HIV and sickle cell anemia.
The state health department has a stakeholder group that helps make decisions on distribution.
The group is comprised of more than 30 different offices, agencies, and departments representing public health, rural health, refugee and other minority populations, legislators, experts in bioethics, medical societies, communications experts, health care coalitions, emergency management, and others.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Johnson is testing a vaccine in Memphis and is seeking minorities to participate, Fox 13 reported. Vanderbilt Medical Center also is searching for people 60 or older, or minorities, to participate in the Johnson and Johnson vaccine trials, WVLT reported.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Logic says that Racism is the Advancement of one Race over another. The NAACP is an acronym meaning National Association for the ADVANCEMENT of Colored People. So by definition the group is. Racist Group. The Covid-19 vaccine was developed for all people, Covid-19 is a non-racist RNA virus it has the potential to affect all people regardless of race. Up to the development of this vaccine, our first line of defense in fighting this virus has being our Healthcare Workers and the ancillary staff surrounding these workers. Second the most vulnerable group is our Senior Citizen. They should and will received top priority. The NAACP should be doing it part by encouraging its membership to practice prevention techniques established by the CDC and to shut down public rallies that give Victory to COVID-19. The virus is the enemy not the distribution of the vaccine.
The NAACP is useless and a bunch of racist just shut up and go away no one cares what you say or think!
Just some whiners trying to make themselves relevant. Go suck a lemon.
Everything to the donks is racially motivated. It’s not who should get the first shots based on science, it’s who should get the first shots based on the color of their skin. Y’all make me sick with your reverse racism. I never disparaged anyone because of their race before 2020. But between Burn, Loot, and Murder and the liberal’s never ending racism against white people it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain my objectivity.
Speaking for myself and probably quit a few Conservatives, as much as you think we all hold racial hatred towards people of color, the actual reality is that my hatred it directed to the Democratic Party, no matter what color your skin is. You are the most dishonest group of people in the Nation.
Why doesn’t the NAACP say how much they want , then , if 5% isn’t enough? If all these people believe it’s safe and works so great , why would they not want healthcare workers to have it first- who could give COVID to them or their family members if they need health care treatment. (You have to put your oxygen mask on first, and then your child’s remember?) Turn the whole vaccination program over to the NAACP. Let them run the whole thing. And like Mr. Welch – they can have my vaccine , too.
The color of your skin has no place in decision making as far as this virus goes or anything else for that matter. Isn’t that what has be beat into us for the last 60 years?
Well, the only relevancy with skin color is that darker skin people don’t absorb as much Vitamin D from sunlight as for lighter skin people. And Vitamin D is a critically nutrient in helping to prevent or mitigate the effects of COVID. Flu of other viral infections. But this and other health information is either ignored or willfully withheld by the supposed experts advising officialdom and the media. Why is that? It seems that controlling us is more important than informing us! And the old “divide and conquer” tactic, in this case, on race, has always been a modus operandus of the ruling class.
I feel that Healthcare Workers and the Elderly should get it first. PERIOD!
For the record, the State can give my vaccine to anybody they want! Forever! I don’t trust and will not get any “first time ever” RNA-based vaccine, developed by and supported by one-world-order globalists! Anything “too good to be true” usually is!
Now that we’ve established that point, I’d really prefer if they give “my” vaccine to “someone of color”. Specifically, it must be a true minority. Maybe someone with mauve, chartreuse or azure skin. Because from beige, to bronze, all the way to burnt umber, there isn’t anything unique about any of us, at least not related to skin color. Can we now move on to something important!
“Green focused on how Tennessee is putting healthcare workers and seniors ‘at the front of the line’ ahead of minorities, who were disproportionally affected by the virus.”
So there are no racial minorities among these groups?
But I will forego and volunteer my vaccine to any of the smallest minority who may CHOOSE to receive it. And who. You may aske, is “the smallest minority”? Each individual person is the smallest and most important minority. And the COVID, or any vaccination should be given and received by individual personal choice!