Community Information Needs Proposal (Pasadena Vaccine Rollout)
Over the past year, we have faced some serious challenges that have put a lot of stress and pressure on a daily lives due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The things we used to love and do have been stripped away as the pressure to stay home has weighed down on many as the hope of the pandemic that has swept the world would soon come to an end. Many have lost family and friends to this unimaginable event but now that we have seen the introduction of multiple vaccine’s with possibly more on the way, many are hoping that life can return to normal sooner rather than later. With two current vaccines currently available to health care professionals, essential workers, teachers and senior citizens over the age of 65, it would seem like the distribution of the vaccines would prioritize communities that have higher infection rates but that has not been the case.
For my proposal, I want to take a deeper dive into the distribution of the vaccines, especially in a community that has a higher rate of people who have already been administered at least one dose of the vaccine. According to the Los Angeles Times, the vaccine rate in communities that are considered wealthy such as Brentwood, Arcadia, and South Pasadena have a large advantage in the vaccine rollout then communities who have lower income rates such as the city of Bell, San Fernando and South Gate.
The community that I want to look into is the city of Pasadena in which it is a community that I know well and has seen high levels of vaccination rates. According to Pasadena Now, 81.7% of seniors over the age of 65 have already been administered one dose of the vaccine while 28.7% of people over the age of 16 have also been given one dose. The article also looked at the demographics of who had received the vaccine with a city memo reporting that White and Asian/ Pacific Islander populations were receiving the most doses. It’s interesting to point out that According to Census Reporter, Pasadena locals who identified as hispanic accounted for 34% of Pasadena’s population which is the second highest percentage only behind those who identified as white but are still far behind in receiving the vaccine.
This brings me to some of the questions I want to focus on when reporting on the community of Pasadena and how people of each demographic are finding information about the vaccine and why they believe there is such a large gap in the distribtuion of vaccines. Is it easy to schedule an appointment? Do you have doubts? Is the city doing enough? What can be done better? Is it fair? These are just some of the questions that I have for not only local residents but also employees that work in the city as Downtown Pasadena has a flurry of businesses and restaurants that are always busy and should be consulted with, especially as we are still in the midst of the pandemic.
This matters to me as the data shows that there is a serious inequality in the distribution of the vaccines that are currently available and it’s important to understand why. I think it’s important to look and understand how the vaccine has been administered in both communities who are advantaged and disadvantage because I don’t understand how and why the communities that are being hit the hardest by COVID-19 are being left behind in the vaccine rollout and I want to understand why. I plan by creating surveys and asking social media groups on Facebook and possibly Reddit about the issue at hand and how the vaccine can better be understood and distributed to those who are need it the most.
