Assigning vaccine priority on the basis of race or ethnic heritage would therefore invite debate, recriminations and legal challenges. In response, experts in public health and medical ethics have spoken with virtual unanimity. That outsized vulnerability to COVID-19, in turn, demands that these groups get some priority access to vaccines. Public health agencies “should not exacerbate racial divisions” with their vaccine decisions, the trio wrote. Even under extreme stress, they appear to acknowledge that public health disparities — both past and present — must be addressed.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 30, 2020 18:00 UTC