MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Health Department is working to address racial disparities in vaccine distribution.
“It’s very frustrating,” Doctor Pene’ Woods, of Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, said.
Woods says she made an appointment to be vaccinated at the pipkin building saturday.
“We got there and the lady saw our appointment sheet and told us they had no first dosage there, and we needed to go to the Appling location,” Woods said.
So, Woods drove another 30 minutes and waited in line an hour.
“This lady said I don’t know why they sent you here. That was the first thing she said,” Woods said.
After waiting even longer, Woods left. She’s concerned these kinds of experiences are among the reasons there’s a racial disparity in vaccinations in Shelby County.
“If you go and make an appointment and get turned down, well everybody is not going to be able to ride all over town or have the time to do it. They’ll just say forget it,” Woods said.
Last week, the health department reported of 13,000 people vaccinated over the age of 75 about 12% were Black and only 47 people or 0.4 percent were Hispanic.
“Our common mistakes are neglecting the people who need it the most especially when they are poor people, black people, brown people,” Pastor Earle Fisher, of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church, said.
Last week health leaders added a site in Whitehaven, but Pastor Fisher says moving forward conversations also need to focus on the things that contribute to inequitable healthcare access.
Fisher added, “What does it mean to live in a food desert but also a pharmacy desert?”
The goal is to ensure those most impacted by COVID-19, have a chance to be vaccinated.
“I ask everybody to take it if you can but I’m asking whether it’s the health department or whoever is over this, please get someone that understands how to make this happen correctly,” Woods said.
WREG-TV reached out to a health department spokesperson about Dr. Woods’ experience, and we’ve yet to hear back yet.
