NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Mayor Dr. McKinley Price wants to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by the virus.
He’s taking the conversation directly to the White House.
“The President just talked about how 80 percent of deaths are from people 65 and older and twice as many people of color,” said Price. “So to me that is the group that should be targeted, and I want to make sure that happens.”
As president of the African American Mayors Association, Price recently led a discussion between Vice President Kamala Harris, White House COVID-19 coordination members, and more than 20 Black mayors from across the country.
“A one-size-fits-all approach does not work for all cities,” he said.
Price expressed frustration with the rollout in Newport News, which is one of five cities under one state health department. He said the department has been underfunded for several years, and he is concerned about high-risk communities, like the elderly and Black and Latino people in the area.
In Newport News, 26,529 vaccine doses have been administered, according to the VDH website. More than 19,000 people have received their first dose, and slightly over 7,000 are fully vaccinated.
“Here locally, we have the capability of getting shots in arms, and another layer of bureaucracy isn’t helping,” he said.
He is concerned that vaccine doses are not being distributed equally to areas where the impact of the virus is high and access to medical care may be low.
“People want the shot. The problem is access,” said Price. “People who don’t have equipment where they can register online or in a location where they would have to take public transportation to get there. Those are things that are inhibiting people from getting the shots.”
He said the City of Newport News is working on a coordinated effort with Riverside Health Center to provide vaccinations in underrepresented communities. The partnership will also include local schools and churches and should take place in early March.
Dr. Price said he felt better after the meeting with Vice President Harris and staff, and he expects the number of doses to drastically increase within the next two months, especially with the approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Friday.