ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Black leaders talked to You Paid For It about their concerns with the COVID vaccine distribution in the African American community, with some saying it’s moving painfully slow.
Pagedale Mayor Ernest Shields tells FOX 2 that considering the Black community bore the brunt of the COVID deaths, there should have been greater emphasis on getting the vaccines to communities in north St. Louis County.
The vaccination rate in St. Louis County and surrounding counties is 23%; it’s only 5% in north county.
Affinia Healthcare is handling the bulk of the vaccinations in local minority communities.
Dr. Kendra Holmes believes some progress is being made but there is still a lot to do. She believes governments where slow getting up and going in the minority community just as they were with COVID testing.
Groups like Affinia are trying to make up lost ground, something that’s not at all easy. Affinia didn’t get its first batch of vaccines till mid-January. At that time, the St Louis City Health Department didn’t have any and The St. Louis County Health Department just had about 975 doses.
