SALT LAKE CITY — The vaccine that defeats COVID-19 is coming, and it’s only a matter of when not if, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. But when it comes, who gets the first dose?
Health care workers should be the first ones to receive the coronavirus vaccine, says Melinda Gates.
Live Mic host Lee Lonsberry walked through her thoughts and added some of his own.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $350 million to fight the coronavirus and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to help equitably distribute therapeutics and vaccines to developing countries.
“There are 60 million healthcare workers [around the world]. They deserve to get the vaccine first, they’re the ones dealing with this on the front lines, trying to keep us all safe.
“One of the reasons we are so involved in this is that you don’t want the first vaccines to go to the highest-bidding countries,” she said to Forbes.
“Here in the United States, it’s going to be black people who really should get it first and many indigenous people, as well as people with underlying symptoms, and then elderly people,” she continued.
“If you look at the demographic impact . . . you will see African-American populations impacted at disproportionately high rates,” Lee said. “There is a high rate of hospitalizations and even death among African-American and black communities as well as indigenous communities. . .
“It makes sense to me. I think those most threatened by the virus should be the first to be armed against the virus. Makes perfect sense,” he said.
Lee put the question (Who should get the COVID-19 vaccine first?) to his Facebook followers. Their replies follow:
Live Mic with Lee Lonsberry can be heard weekdays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app.