Black health care workers were 30% less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine ...

Black health care workers were 30% less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine ...
Black health care workers were 30% less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine ...

Black health care workers were less likely than their white colleagues to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the early months of the jab's availability, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania gathered data from the school's teaching hospital in Philadelphia.

They found that, in the first four months of the shot's rollout - from December 2020 to March 2021 - black employees were 30 percent less likely to receive their first vaccine dose than white health care workers.

The racial gap was made up of nurses and other frontline health workers, though black physicians had higher vaccine rates than their white counterparts.

Black health care (yellow line) workers were significantly less likely to receive the first dose of the Covid vaccine in the first four months of the shot's availability. Researchers found that more than 80% of white (dark blue line) or Asian (light blue line) workers received the shot, compared to less than 60 percent of black employees

Black health care (yellow line) workers were significantly less likely to receive the first dose of the Covid vaccine in the first four months of the shot's availability. Researchers found that more than 80% of white (dark blue line) or Asian (light blue line) workers received the shot, compared to less than 60 percent of black employees

Black physicians (left, dark blue line) were actually more likely to receive the shots than white physicians (right, dark blue line), despite black workers overall having a vaccination rate 30% lower. Black nurses, non-patient contact personnel and workers who did have patient contact had very low vaccination rates

Black physicians (left, dark blue line) were actually more likely to receive the shots than white physicians (right, dark blue line), despite black workers overall having a vaccination rate 30% lower. Black nurses, non-patient contact personnel and workers who did have patient contact had very low vaccination rates

Researchers, who published their findings on Wednesday in JAMA Network Open, gathered data from the 12,610 employees who work at the hospital.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was first given emergency use authorization in mid-December 2020. 

Health care workers were among those first eligible for the vaccine, and every employee at the hospital had the opportunity to get the shot in the first four months if they wanted.

Overall, 9,573, or 76 percent, received at least the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine during the study period.

The research team split the study population across races and the position someone served at the hospital.

Positional

read more from dailymail.....

PREV Oregon's doctor-assisted suicides jumped 21% to 367 in 2023, with many patients ... trends now
NEXT Chemicals in baby wipes, hand soap and nail polish may raise the risk of AUTISM ... trends now