(16 Feb 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4311332
Latinos across the country face daunting barriers like fear, language and a lack of education and access as the COVID-19 vaccines roll out, creating risks for public health as the virus mutates and spreads.
With a tendency for health problems like diabetes, obesity and hypertension, Latinos comprise one of highest risk groups in the U.S. for contracting, and dying from, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
It's not just a problem for them, but for public health in general.
An AP-NORC poll in late January showed about half of both Hispanic and Black Americans are extremely or very worried about themselves or family members being infected with COVID-19. That's compared with about 4 in 10 white Americans.
Despite the challenges getting inoculated, the poll showed Latinos are only slightly more hesitant about getting shots than non-Hispanic whites. About 65% said they definitely or probably will get the vaccine when it's available to them or that they already have received at least one of two doses.
Sixty-eight percent of white Americans, and 57% of Black Americans, said they have been or plan to be vaccinated.
The poll was conducted in English and Spanish with adults in the U.S. While the sample was not explicitly limited to U.S. citizens, the noncitizen population is difficult to reach for many reasons and may have been underrepresented.
More than 60 million people in the United States identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to Pew Research Center, comprising about 18% of people in the country.
They range from descendants of Spanish land grant holders who settled centuries ago in what is now New Mexico to Central American asylum seekers.
In New York, Dr. Victor Peralta and Ingrid Felix-Peralta, who are married, recently administered shots at a public housing complex through the SOMOS network that provides care to minorities with limited economic means.
"Latinos make up a large proportion of our front-line workers. They work at supermarkets, restaurants, food industry and they are working during the day so it's hard to find time to get vaccinated," said Peralta, a pediatrician.
Access is also an issue, with many vaccination sites are large events away from the underserved, high exposed communities that are most impacted.
Fear of deportation can be a issue for Latinos without authorization to live in the U.S., even though the Department of Homeland Security recently said vaccination sites will be considered off limits for routine enforcement.
"We know that we don't always get the correct address and phone number when we see patients in our medical practice," Peralta said.
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