As the COVID-19 pandemic raged last fall and winter, case rates among California’s Latino and Black residents outpaced rates among the general public, underscoring health equity disparities that impact communities of color more severely throughout the state.
Now, as COVID-19 vaccination efforts accelerate, Dignity Health has come together with AEG, the City of Carson and other partners to host a five-day vaccination clinic specifically for vulnerable communities.
More than 20,000 high-risk residents received the vaccine over the course of the event.
Lining up in the massive Dignity Health Sports Park lot at 6:15 a.m., health care workers safely covered with face shields and masks walked up to smiling — some would say beaming — L.A. residents, who simply drove up in their cars, rolled down the window and received their shot.
“When prayers go up, blessings come down,” said Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes. Many of the residents who were vaccinated echoed her sentiment, finally feeling safe enough to hope for the future again.
“It’s so important that we do all we can to help our communities most at risk,” said Julie Sprengel, president of Dignity Health’s Southern California Division. “Our mission has always been to improve the health of the people we serve and address inequities in health care.”