By Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Since the New Pittsburgh Courier revealed in its March 3 edition that only 2,860 people identifying as Black in Allegheny County had received the full COVID-19 vaccine as of Feb. 26 according to the Pa. Department of Health, the Health Department’s latest figures as of March 5 are also nearly unbelievable.
According to the state data, from Feb. 27 to March 5, 1,010 additional African Americans had received the full vaccine in the county, totaling 3,870. But from the same time period, an additional 17,550 Whites had received the full vaccine in the county, totaling 54,379.
It’s not a matter of fact or fiction. It’s a fact that Blacks in Allegheny County are not getting access to the COVID vaccine as much as their White compadres.
Even before the latest figures from the state Health Department were released on March 5, Tim Stevens had already made his presence felt two days prior in the form of letters addressed to Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf and Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen, obtained by the Courier.
“It seems obvious to the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) that definitive steps must be taken immediately to ensure that those at the highest risk for COVID-19 be prioritized for the administration of the vaccines to combat this very dangerous virus,” Stevens, president and CEO of B-PEP, wrote in a public letter, directed to the governor, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, among others. “Equity in this very important matter must be a reality, and not a conversation. We are therefore urging that local, county and statewide governmental leaders and organizations take time to develop plans, procedures, and marketing strategies to ensure that this goal is met. B-PEP stands ready to assist wherever we can to help promote such aggressive efforts. We are also willing to engage our community partners to see if they would be willing to do the same.”
In his letter to Dr. Bogen, Stevens said: “We ask that you and your staff fully investigate the possibilities that can be utilized to address this important concern so that African Americans and people of color are served in the equitable manner they deserve. We look forward to hearing of your plans.”
On March 5, CVS Pharmacy announced it had greatly increased its COVID vaccine allotment, and is now booking appointments at more CVS locations in the Pittsburgh area. Locations include Wilkinsburg, Swissvale, Whitehall, North Huntingdon, New Kensington, New Castle, Uniontown, Homestead, Gibsonia, Carnegie, Butler and Ambridge. CVS said even with its increased locations, appointments are filling up fast.
And what’s up with the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine that was recently approved by the FDA and CDC, which requires only one shot to do the trick?
That vaccine is going to the state’s teachers. Deservedly so, said Gov. Wolf, who announced on March 3 that the state would be getting 94,600 doses. The governor said it’s imperative that teachers of all ages are vaccinated so that in-person classes can resume at schools which are remote-only, such as Pittsburgh Public Schools.
“On behalf of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, I would like to thank Governor Wolf for prioritizing vaccinations for teachers and school staff in Pittsburgh and across the state,” PFT President Nina Esposito-Visgitis said in a statement. “The additional layer of protection that full vaccination will provide will make a meaningful and measurable difference in the lives of our educators, school staff, students and school communities.”
Pittsburgh Public Schools has a date of April 6 in which it believes schools can reopen.
