Coronavirus

California Works To Reach More Minorities

Vaccine centers opened in the hardest-hit areas of San Francisco.

California Works To Reach More Minorities
Paul Sancya / AP
SMS

One issue the U.S. is facing with distributing a COVID vaccine is reaching all communities.

In San Francisco, health officials opened drop-in vaccine centers for seniors in historically Black and Latino neighborhoods. 

Early vaccination data shows a low number of Latinos have gotten the shot compared to the number who have tested positive for the virus.

"Many people, because they're elderly, because they're frail, because they're undocumented and they're afraid of interacting with authorities around our immigration issues, don't feel comfortable leaving the neighborhood," said San Francisco General Hospital retired Nurse Diane Jones. "So this is why these vaccination sites at the neighborhood level are important."

California announced a new system that will give extra payments to providers that vaccinate people in vulnerable neighborhoods and in communities of color.