February 22, 2021
Sixto Cruz gets a COVID-19 vaccination during the Keck Medicine of USC clinic on Saturday. (USC Photo/Alison Rainey)
Keck Medicine of USC nurses and USC School of Pharmacy students vaccinated more than 400 people from the Eastside of Los Angeles on Saturday to help counter disparities in COVID-19 inoculation.
Even though 43% percent of white and 39% of Asian American seniors have received at least one dose of the vaccine, just 29% of Latino and 24% of Black seniors have been vaccinated, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles County officials said these disparities are due to long-standing issues related to residents’ access to health care and education. Wealthier and whiter communities have much higher vaccination rates in Los Angeles than lower-income, more diverse areas.