Given the advance of the omicron, the new and contagious variant of covid-19, Hispanics have been increasingly vaccinated in the last days of 2021 and applying the reinforcement against the virus, according to the Centers for Control and Disease Prevention (CDC).
“Based on the vaccination data from the last few weeks, we have seen that Hispanics are coming to put on the ‘booster,’” said José Montero, director of the CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, based in Atlanta. .
Latinos are slightly above the national average for vaccination in general, said the epidemiologist of Colombian origin, celebrating the improvement in the immunization rate against the coronavirus of this population, which at the beginning of the campaign that began in December 2020 showed more reticent.
“Definitely Hispanics saw the importance of this and that as a community we protect ourselves. With the ‘boosters’ we are seeing the same thing and it is very good news ”, highlighted Montero.
VACCINATION ADVANCES
According to the latest CDC statistics, as of December 30, 45.1 percent of Hispanics have the full vaccination schedule, slightly above the white population (44.6 percent), and eight points percentage above the African American community (37.2 percent).
Likewise, 52.6 percent of Latinos have at least one dose of the vaccine, a percentage higher by three percentage points than the white population (49.6 percent) and ten points than the African American population (42.6 percent ).
Official data also show an increase in recent weeks in the proportion of booster doses in Hispanic and African-American communities, especially in the population over 65, although they still lag behind in relation to the white.
According to the CDC, 61.7 of Hispanics in that age range have already had the booster, in contrast to whites (73.3) and African Americans (62.1 percent).
The improvement in vaccination rates in the community comes amid the new wave of covid-19 cases that is hitting the country and the world, driven by the omicron variant, more contagious than delta, but less severe, according to the experts.
COLLECTION OF COTTAGES
This Wednesday, the United States set a new record for daily coronavirus infections with nearly half a million positive cases confirmed.
Latinos are still one of the communities most affected by infections in some states when compared to the population they represent. For example: In Utah, Latinos are 14% of the population, but they represent 18.2% of COVID-19 cases as of December 10, 2021. In Oregon, Latinos are 13% of the population but They represent 16.1% of covid-19 cases as of December 14.
In California, where Latinos represent 39.3% of the population, this community reported 51.4% of covid-19 cases as of December 30. In Texas the disparity is similar. With infections on the rise, vaccination becomes more important.
LESS INFLUENCE OF FAKE NEWS
Although it is not known for sure what could be the reasons that have made the improvement in the vaccination of Latinos possible, Montero points out that surveys suggest that in many ethnic groups the population is no longer paying attention to the false information that has circulated about the vaccine.
“Another thing is that during the December holidays, people have been seeing that they prefer to be vaccinated to visit the family. You are also seeing the reality of the increase in cases. All these things together have caused more people, at least Latinas, to be vaccinated, ” said the epidemiologist.
In addition, the expert highlighted the community outreach efforts that the CDC has made with local and state health departments, as well as the initiatives of community organizations that enjoy credibility from the communities and that have facilitated that the correct message about vaccination gets to them.
“We have worked a lot with churches and religious organizations because many communities have a lot of respect for their religious authorities and that has also facilitated access to the communities. All this has helped to change minds and people are taking better care of themselves, wearing the mask, and getting vaccinated ”, he added.