100 percent!

Message of COVID vaccinations resonating with older populations;  in Minnesota 100 percent of Blacks and Asians ages 65-plus fully vaccinated based on submitted data

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Editor-in-Chief

One hundred percent.

It’s almost unfathomable. It borders on astonishing. But that’s what the Minneapolis Department of Health (MDH) is reporting. 

One hundred percent of the state’s Black residents 65 years of age or older are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. According to public data provided by MDH (mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp), both Blacks and Asians ages 65-plus are fully vaccinated against the virus that to date has killed more than 762,000 Americans and 9,120 Minnesotans.

Whites at the same age are vaccinated at 95 percent, Hispanics at 87.1 percent and Native Americans at 76.1 percent according to the data.

According to MDH, the ethnicity data accounts for 93 percent of people who have a COVID-19 immunization record with the department. It also includes immunizations from VA records that are not held with MDH. Thus, the 100 percent figure could vary, this according to the department. 

But the impressive numbers dip from there and they tell surprising stories. 

Blacks 45-64 are vaccinated at a rate of 77.8 percent while whites are vaccinated at just 65.9 percent. Asians in that age group are vaccinated at the highest rate at 87.8 percent. Hispanics 45-64 are vaccinated at 79 percent and Native Americans at 60 percent. 

It isn’t until you get to the 19-44 demographic – a higher percent of the total population – where whites outpace Blacks in vaccinations. 

Whites age 19-44 are vaccinated at 58.6 percent, compared to 52.2 percent of Blacks. Asians again are the highest vaccinated at 73 percent. Hispanics in this age group are vaccinated at 62.1 percent and Native Americans at 47 percent. 

June Dean was hesitant to receive a vaccine, but she felt comfortable once she learned she could get one at her church, Shiloh Temple International Ministries in March. Photo by David Pierini

Overall in the state, whites are vaccinated at a rate of 60 percent, Blacks at 54 percent, Hispanics at 52 percent and Asians at 71 percent.  

Nationally, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, among the 43 states providing data, whites are vaccinated at a rate of 55 percent compared to 48 percent of Blacks, 53 percent for Hispanics and 71 percent for Asians. 

In the North Minneapolis zip codes of 55411 and 55412 there are 13,974 and 12,301 people vaccinated respectively. Among them is Kathryn Mayfield. 

Mayfield, 35, said her decision to vaccinate was an obvious yes. But she didn’t do it for her. She did it for her family. 

“The risk of getting someone I love sick was too much for me,” said Mayfield, who lives in the Cleveland neighborhood. “I don’t want to risk my children getting sick or my parents getting sick.” 

The mother of two said her personal experience with the deadly virus also made it easy for her to get vaccinated. 

“I had COVID at a critical time in life; during my pregnancy,” said Mayfield. “To me it wasn’t even a question. I knew as soon as I was eligible to get the vaccine, I was getting it.”  

While Mayfield may have been an early vaccine proponent, others have not been so eager. But key state initiatives have been working to penetrate varying communities that previously have not had such targeted outreach. 

“There was a lot done wrong at the start (of the pandemic), but what Minnesota did right was to partner with community organizations and community clinics,” said Dr. Sofi Ali, medical director with Neighbor HealthSource. “Clinics like this and churches and other non-traditional settings helped to get accurate information to the community and vaccines to the people.” 

Ali said early vaccine recipients like Mayfield helped to ease concerns and combat misinformation.

One hundred percent of Black and Asian Minnesotans 65-plus are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health

“I got a lot of questions about how I was feeling – especially after the second dose – about how I was feeling. I don’t know that it really changed anyone’s mind (about getting the vaccine), but I got questions,” said Mayfield. 

While work needs to be done to vaccinate younger populations, the success of vaccinating the older population shocks even seasoned medical professionals.

“I’m surprised (at the 100 percent Black and Asian 65-plus statistic), but it speaks to what I’m seeing around the country, which is our seniors and elders are taking this seriously,” said Dr. Kevin Gilliam, assoc. medical director with NorthPoint Health & Wellness. “But to see 100 percent vaccination and 77 percent (Blacks ages 45-64) is impressive to say the least.” 

MDH credited its community outreach in achieving the 100 percent milestone. 

 “At the beginning of this month we hit 1000 known community vaccination events focused on BIPOC communities,” said Doug Schultz, a spokesperson with the department. “We have been holding community vaccination events at places where people gather and meeting people where they are at. This includes using the COVID Community Coordinators to connect people to appointments, holding community vaccination events, including the use of mobile vaccination buses, and working on providing resources that dispel misinformation.”

 Gilliam said work still needs to be done in North Minneapolis to boost vaccinations where only about 50 percent of the total population is vaccinated. He pointed to the changing variant of the virus as a need for younger people to be immunized. 

“The average age of death due to COVID is decreasing. Populations that were previously less at risk (to serious illness and death) are now at higher risk to the much more aggressive form of the virus,” said Gilliam. 

Both Ali and Gilliam said misinformation about the virus and vaccine still serve as a barrier to curtailing COVID. They say continued transparency can combat misinformation and fears. 

“Let’s be real, the U.S. doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to Black people and the medical profession,” said Ali. 

“We’ve developed in real time a vaccine during an ongoing health crisis. Usually the protocols and decisions (on vaccines) happen behind the scenes, but so much is out there now that the realities of the past couldn’t happen today with the level of scrutiny going on,” said Gilliam.

“I think though, a lot of people are seeing people who are unvaccinated are still dying and those vaccinated are OK,” said Ali. “So that’s also leading to people getting vaccinated.”