CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As coronavirus vaccination efforts continue in West Virginia, the state’s coronavirus czar is noting officials are working to ensure people who have the highest chance of being seriously ill from the coronavirus have access to vaccine doses.
Dr. Clay Marsh and other state officials participated in a forum last week related to vaccine distribution. The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs hosted the talk, in which participants discussed the barriers in reaching West Virginians, including older residents and people of color.
Marsh, who is also the vice president and executive dean for health sciences at West Virginia University, said health officials wanted to provide doses to nursing home residents and older West Virginians first as these people are at a higher risk of dying.
“When we looked at our population over 70 years old, that population accounted for 77.5% of our deaths, people over 60 years old accounted for 92% of our deaths, and people over 50 years old accounted for 97% of our deaths,” he said.
Gov. Jim Justice announced new vaccination rules on March 3 allowing West Virginians 50 years old and older can begin receiving shots. He urged older West Virginians to register for vaccination clinics during last Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing.
Marsh also noted testing and vaccinating people of color have lagged; he said national trends show the pandemic having a stronger impact on minorities compared to white people, with the risk for hospitalization among Black Americans three times larger than the rate among white people and the risk of death twice as much between the groups.
Marsh added the state needs to ensure reporting is accurate to understand ongoing work and make adjustments as needed.
“We know in West Virginia, like many other states, we are having trouble tracking the ethnicity of all of our residents,” he said.
Marsh said the state is asking leaders in minority communities for help in increasing awareness about the vaccine and trust in clinics.
According to the Pew Research Center, 81% of Black adults consider the coronavirus pandemic a major threat to public health compared to 57% of white adults. Seventy-nine percent of adults of Asian descent and 72% of Hispanic adults also believe the pandemic is a significant public health threat.
State health officer Dr. Anye Amjad, Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch and WVU Medicine’s Dr. Amori Hayanga also participated in the discussion.