More Whites than Blacks, Latinos get vaccine; Deaths, hospitalizations nearly nonexistent

In Prince William County, Whites get the coronavirus vaccination at far greater rates than Blacks and Latinos.

Over the past two weeks, more than 18,300 Whites have were pricked with a needle compared to nearly 5,500 Latinos and 4,350 Blacks. And the coronavirus has been far more lethal to Blacks and Latinos than to Whites.

“This is unacceptable,” said Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland. “If you add up the total number of minorities, it’s still nowhere near the number of Whites.”

“If we see these numbers a month from now, people need to be fired,” he added.

Candland was talking to Dr. Alison Ansher, the chief of the Prince William County Health District office, an arm of the state’s health department.

In the hot seat this week at the Board of County Supervisors meeting, she answered questions about the disparities in the races when it comes to vaccine delivery.

“Obviously, there is a lag between black and brown communities,” said Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin.

With low numbers of minorities who have received their shots, Franklin asked Ansher for an ethnic breakdown of residents waiting to get their vaccinations. However, that data is not made public by the state, Ansher said.

There has been skepticism among minorities about getting the vaccine, she added. The health district office is working with pastors of 175 area Baptist churches to get information about the vaccine to minority congregations.

“We knew [skepticism] was going to be an issue months ago,” said Candland. “I’m glad this is being addressed now, but more needs to be done.”

If it’s information about minority communities’ the health district office wants, Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey says the county government is a better resource.

“I feel like we could get you that information faster and get you to a point where you need to be,” said Bailey.

Overall, the number of coronavirus cases in the region, including Manassas and Manassas Park, continues to fall. And the number of virus-related deaths and the number of people in local hospitals being treated for the disease are nearly nonexistent.

“[Hospital] beds are being occupied, but not by anyone with COVID-19,” said Ansher.

Meanwhile, the vaccination effort continues. The site of a former Gander Mountain store next to Potomac Mills mall in Woodbridge will be used for four days next week for a mass-vaccination event. Walmart has partnered with the Federal Government to administer doses at 100 vaccine stations.

In addition to CVS Pharmacies that are doling out the vaccine, Safeway grocery stores in Prince William and a Giant Food store on Suldey Road near Manassas will now also be vaccination points.

At Veterans Memorial Park in Woodbridge, Safeway also set up a vaccination clinic to give as many as 200 shots daily.

Appointments for shots are handled at the state level–those needing to make an appointment online or by calling 1-877-829-4682.

More than 73,800 first doses of the vaccine have been administered in the region, along with 23,600-second doses.