Prioritizing Equity in COVID-19 Vaccinations: Perspectives from States and Public-Private Partnerships

Join the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy to discuss promising state strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination rates and public-private partnerships to enhance state and local vaccine distribution efforts.

Session 1: Promising Practices from States to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Vaccination Rates

Black, Latinx, and American Indian populations have borne a disproportionate burden of the pandemic including in risk of exposure, transmission, case rates, severity of illness, and mortality, and those inequities are now extending to disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Despite increased risk and disease burden, data from all states reporting race and ethnicity show Black and Latinx populations have received vaccinations at lower rates compared to their share of total COVID-19 disease burden and population. This racial and ethnic inequity has emerged among age groups, rural and urban settings, and other socio-demographic characteristics. In our recent report, we highlight strategies states are implementing to improve reporting of race and ethnicity data in vaccine distribution, use data to plan for allocation and distribution according to need, overcome systemic inequities that lead to differential access to COVID-19 vaccinations, and build trust in COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 vaccination processes.

Session 2: Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Support COVID-19 Vaccination Equity and Community Engagement

As vaccine supply continues to increase and becomes more readily available to the public in the coming weeks, President Biden has called for a “wartime effort” to increase the pace of vaccinations to limit the spread of COVID-19. Leveraging the full potential of the private sector and supporting improved mechanisms for public-private coordination will be essential to ensuring more efficient and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. In our new report, we highlight key opportunities for public-private partnerships to support improved efficiency and equity in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Presenters will discuss innovative approaches for engaging populations at a higher risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19, community-led strategies for addressing barriers to vaccine access, and approaches for expanding access to COVID-19 vaccinations in communities and workplaces.