Vaccine doses for Black Florida communities given to white residents
In Palm Beach County, where Black people make up 18% of the population, only 4.1% had been vaccinated as of March 1.
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Vaccine drives hosted for Black communities in rural Florida are instead being visited by wealthy, white residents who are then given the immunization against COVID-19 intended for locals.
According to
STAT News,the farming communities of Pahokee, Fla. a city in Palm Beach County, have a population of around 60% Black people and one-third of its residents are Hispanic. However, many of the coronavirus vaccinations sent for residents have gone to white people. The report found that white residents of communities such as Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Miami, traveled to the rural area for their dose of the vaccine.
By Cherranda Smith
Mar 5, 2021
The Black residents of Pahokee and Belle Glade, Florida, farming communities located in Palm Beach County, were supposed to be getting doses of COVID-19 vaccines, instead white people from neighboring wealthy communities were given the shots.
STAT News, white people from West Palm Beach, Stuart, and Miami, traveled to Pahokee to attend the vaccine drives held there for locals.
“It’s frustrating. But it’s the state’s decision not to allow us to do an appointment system at this location. It was their decision to make this first-come, first-serve,” Palm Beach County Commissioner
Melissa McKinlay told the outlet.