Recent changes in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Food and Drug Administration have sparked apprehension among healthcare professionals in San Diego.
Healthy children, pregnant women, and most adults under 65 are no longer routinely advised to receive the vaccine, a decision that has raised alarms regarding potential widening of health disparities, particularly impacting low-income families and communities of color.
Dr. Marsha Spitzer, a pediatrician with Family Health Centers San Diego, recalled the pre-vaccine era as particularly distressing, urging that society must not revert to those conditions.
She emphasized, “It was awful. My first thought was that we can’t go back.”
Dr. Spitzer voiced concerns that the new guidelines could confuse vulnerable families about their vaccine eligibility and place them at increased health risk.
“No doubt the communities were not all equally affected. And our most marginalized or under-resourced communities are the ones that were hit hardest by COVID,” she stated.
In San Diego County, the data reveals inequities in vaccine uptake, with only 8% of Latinos and 11% of Blacks up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, while 16% of whites have received their vaccines.
Cheryl Anderson, dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego, asserted that the updated policy could exacerbate existing health inequities.
She remarked, “We’ll find that those who are in more vulnerable positions, whether it’s economically or socially, are the ones who will have the greatest hurt or the greatest impact based on lack of availability.”
Latinos, representing 55% of California’s frontline workers, face heightened exposure risks, with evidence suggesting they experienced higher COVID-19 mortality rates compared to whites.
“All policies around vaccines really need to be thoughtful about the different environments that people have in the context of their lives that could then impact whether or not they’re going to be likely to get an infection or not,” Anderson added.
Past medical mistrust and a history of racial discrimination contribute to vaccine hesitancy among Black and Hispanic communities, making them more susceptible to health disparities.
Community clinics are anticipated to play a critical role in educating these communities about their vaccination options following the new guidelines, as expressed by Dr. Spitzer.
“I’m talking to families about vaccines,” she said. “I will continue to have those conversations, and I will tell them what my recommendation is based on the science.”
There are concerns that some insurers might cease covering the vaccine due to the policy shifts. Mayra Alvarez with The Children’s Partnership highlighted the financial implications, noting, “It’s almost $200 to pay out of pocket for a vaccine. That $200 can help pay their rent, to pay for childcare costs, to pay for food.”
According to CDC data, adults lacking insurance or with incomes below the poverty line were significantly less likely to get vaccinated compared to those with coverage or higher incomes.
Adding to the worry, a recent NIH-funded study found that one in seven children under six who contracted COVID-19 developed long COVID, emphasizing the ongoing risk.
Anderson cautioned that this policy shift should not lead anyone to underestimate COVID-19 as a public health concern.
“This policy should not leave anyone thinking that COVID is no longer a public health concern,” she urged.
Experts warn that public health agencies must intensify their outreach efforts to ensure accessibility to vaccines, particularly for communities that were most affected by COVID-19 from the beginning.
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