Few Lexington Hispanics have gotten COVID-19 vaccine despite push to remove barriers
Lexington has made progress in efforts to vaccinate minorities, but white residents continue to receive a disproportionate share of the vaccines administered.
Data released Friday by the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department showed that 8.9 percent of those receiving at least one vaccine dose at all sites were Black, and 2.7 percent were Hispanic. The city’s population is about 14.6 percent Black and 7.2 percent Hispanic, according to U.S. Census data.
About 74.9 percent of Lexington’s population is white and white residents account for 79.2 percent of vaccine doses. About 3.5 percent of people who received at least one dose had an unknown racial or ethnic background.
There have been improvements in minority vaccination numbers in the last month. Data from Feb. 3 showed that only 5.7 percent of Lexington residents who had received at least one vaccine dose were Black and only 2.2 percent were Hispanic.
“This is a start, and we need more people who speak languages other than English and Spanish to get their shot,” said Lexington health department spokesman Kevin Hall. “We need the help of everyone.“
Hall urged minority residents to contact local officials if they’re interested in advocating for the vaccine, which Hall called a “vaccine for everyone.”
Lexington has outpaced the state in vaccine equity, which has been emphasized by state and local officials in recent months. Only 4.9 percent of Kentucky residents who received at least one vaccine dose were Black, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. Only 1.4 percent were Hispanic, Beshear said.
“The percentages are getting better, but they are not moving fast enough,” Beshear said in a press conference Monday.
More can be done to reach Lexington Hispanics
Despite targeted efforts to reach the Spanish-speaking community, Lexington’s health department has vaccinated a smaller percentage of Hispanic residents than other groups in clinics offered one day a week.
Only 2.1 percent of residents vaccinated by the health department were Hispanic, according to health department data.
Patients don’t have to disclose their racial or ethnic backgrounds and that makes it difficult to get a “true look” at the disparity, Hall said. About 11.9 percent of people vaccinated by the health department had undisclosed racial or ethnic backgrounds.
The health department’s efforts to reach the Hispanic community have included a separate registration website for non-English speaking residents. The health department sets aside 100 appointments each week for people who register through that link, Hall said.
The Spanish website is lfchd.org/vacuna. Space is also reserved for residents who lack internet and have to call for an appointment. Anyone in need of assistance can call 859-899-2222.
“We’ve tried to remove as many barriers as possible,” Hall said.
The health department has posted information about vaccine sign-ups in Spanish on social media, including this tweet:
“Si es mayor de 18, ahora puede ponerse la vacuna del COVID-19 en Lexington.Nuestras clínicas de vacunación están ahora abiertas para cualquiera mayor de 18 años que viva o trabaje en Lexington. Haga su cita para nuestra clínica del 24 de Marzo al http://lfchd.org/vacuna.”
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Jennifer Reynolds represents the Versailles Road area that has a large Spanish-speaking population.
Reynolds has pushed city and state leaders since the beginning of the pandemic to make more information about COVID-19 available in multiple foreign languages.
Many, but not all, online vaccination registration websites ask for Social Security numbers or other identifying information at the time of registration. Even though people don’t have to provide that information to get vaccines, the questions can be a problem.
“I have heard a lot of concerns from the Latinx community about providing that type of information,” Reynolds said.
Making an appointment can also be challenging for people who work multiple jobs or have service-sector jobs. Leaving work to get a vaccine is sometimes not an option.
The city encountered the same reluctance last year with coronavirus testing in the Latinx community, Reynolds said.
The city started mobile testing units that allowed people to walk or drive up without an appointment.
“When we did the neighborhood testing units and people didn’t have to do anything online, more people went,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said she understands that’s more difficult to do with vaccines. Health providers need to offer appointments to make sure no vaccine goes to waste.
Reynolds and her office have also distributed thousands of fliers to Spanish-language businesses to help get the word out.
RadioLex has provided COVID-19 information, including vaccination information, in Spanish and multiple languages throughout the pandemic, she said.
But much more can be done to reach Lexington’s foreign-born population and increase vaccination rates, Reynolds said.
“When we talk about emergency management and we talk about crisis management, we need to provide that information in multiple languages,” Reynolds said.
University of Ky. clinics address racial, ethnic vaccine equity
Mobile vaccine clinics have been conducted by the University of Kentucky in more diverse Lexington neighborhoods. Clinics have been held at Keeneland, First Baptist Church Bracktown, Shiloh Baptist Church and the Charles Young Community Center. Between 300 and 500 people were vaccinated at each clinic, according to UK spokesman Jay Blanton.
“Our primary emphasis on this important issue has been on an equity and access project in partnership with Gov. (Andy) Beshear and Mayor (Linda) Gorton,” Blanton said.
Keeneland was chosen in particular to “target the horse industry, which does have a heavy concentration of Hispanic workers that comprise the workforce,” Blanton said.
“We are also working closely with contacts in the Hispanic community on how we encourage members of that part of our Lexington community to register to be vaccinated and are planning some specific outreach along those lines,” Blanton said.
The first round of shots have already been administered at each of of the four locations, and second doses, so-called boosters, were administered at Keeneland Saturday, Blanton said. Second shots were expected to be administered at each previous clinic site over the next three weeks, and there would be a later make-up day at the Charles Young Center for those who missed their appointments.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 3:51 PM.