Washington State Department of Health Permits Vaccine Centers Working With the Government to Deny Vaccines to Whites

I've been talking about the New Jim Crow for a while.

It sucks to be right.

The African American Reach and Teach Health Ministry (AARTH) is a vaccine provider in Washington state. Eligible recipients can sign up for vaccines using their online scheduler. But if you're white, you're not able to access any open vaccine appointments.

The Washington State Department of Health lets providers deny vaccines to white people in a race-exclusionary system they claim creates equity and removes barriers. It does neither.

The African American Reach and Teach Health Ministry (AARTH) is a vaccine provider in Washington state. Eligible recipients can sign up for vaccines using their online scheduler. But if you’re white, you’re not able to access any open vaccine appointments.

By default, white people are put on a standby list -- one of two lists segregated by race -- for vaccine access. They will only provide their online appointments to people of color.

Given repeated opportunities over the course of several days, the state DOH would not directly answer whether or not this practice violates the law. Instead, the DOH repeatedly deflected, arguing that they're taking necessary steps to provide equitable access to the vaccine. But it's only equitable access if you have the right skin color.

You know what the GOP can do to stop this?

Grant China more favorable trade agreements and give Walmart more power to squash unionization efforts.

Yes, that is what America needs: To address our real problems.

One the plus side, the Washington Department of Health's tweets are lush and elegant.

posted by Ace at 06:55 PM

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