Activist Michael Curry On Setting A 'Higher Bar' For Vaccine Equity

Speaking Tuesday on Boston Public Radio, Michael Curry, CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, acknowledged progress while still stressing the need for better COVID-19 vaccine equity.

“If this were a test, both here and across the country, we’ve failed on the equity in this rollout,” Curry said, adding that he's not surprised. "We were not prepared to roll out vaccines equitably.”

According to the latest data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 38% of the state’s Black residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, compared with 55%t of white residents, putting Massachusetts at about the national average. Among Hispanic residents, the number sits at 31%t. Data from the state’s weekly vaccine report, meanwhile, indicates far slimmer disparities.

To its credit, Massachusetts has taken calculated steps to ensure trust and access to COVID-19 vaccines for all residents. So far, the state has funnelled $30 million to establish mobile clinics and public information campaigns and set aside additional vaccine doses for 20 of its hardest-hit communities, the majority of which are largely nonwhite.

During a publicly-broadcasted conversation with President Joe Biden about an hour after Curry’s interview, Gov. Charlie Baker touted the state’s performance on equity.

“We’ve managed to successfully vaccinate, so far, our Hispanic community, our Asian community [and] our Black community at rates that’re right up there with our white community,” he said. “We still have some work to do there, but we’ve made a lot of progress.”

Curry, who's also a member of the state's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, commended Baker for making a concerted effort to include diverse voices in the vaccine rollout planning process and coordinating with local community health centers and orginzations like the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury.

But Curry was more cautious in his overall assessment, saying that elected officials often "want to lift up themselves relative to others."

“That’s not my mark," he said. "That’s not the bar for me. I set a higher bar, which is, ‘Where should we be?'"

"I would urge all of your listeners to have that higher bar," he added. "It’s not about California. It’s not about New York. It’s not about Florida. It’s about Massachusetts and us leading in an equitable way."

Michael Curry is president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group. He's also a member of the NAACP Board of Directors, where he chairs the Advocacy and Policy Committee.