Laura Gutierrez, the Annapolis Hispanic community services specialist, will chair the Mid-Atlantic Vaccine Equity Coalition, or MALVEC, with the goal of continuing to push resources into underserved communities in Maryland and the surrounding area, including vaccination outreach and other public health services.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the current inequities in COVID-19 vaccinations are unacceptable and need to change. Maryland is ranked 45th out of 50 states in overall distribution of vaccines. What makes matters worse is that vaccines aren t reaching people who need them most, he said.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said that despite the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color, Black people and Latinos are far behind white people in the number of people who have received the potentially lifesaving vaccines.
Maryland is ranked 45th out of 50 states in overall distribution of vaccines. While that is bad enough, Van Hollen said, what makes matters worse is that vaccines aren’t reaching people who need them most.