LETTER: COVID and health care ‘inequities’

In regard to your informative Saturday article, “Pandemic lays bare health care inequities,” by Shea Johnson. The first paragraph says that “minority groups have been affected by the COVID-19 at disproportionately higher rates than their white counterparts in Southern Nevada” and that Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a plan to reverse inequities in vaccine distribution to marginalized groups.

Stop the presses.

The group that has been affected the most are those 60 years and older. Eighty percent of the deaths have occurred in this group, which is made up of all races. The virus is not racist and does not discriminate based on race. It is disproportionately killing the older population.

I am 67 years old, and the governor has no plan or timetable as to when I can even make an appointment to get vaccinated. Gov. Sisolak has told us to stay in our house and just wait our turn. In the meantime, he feels it is more important to vaccinate teachers (who are not even required to return to school to teach our children), cab drivers, lawyers and other groups that also have major lobbies in this state. Most of the people in the above groups are much younger and will not likely die from this disease.

Governor Sisolak must not make this a race issue. Yes, go all out to convince everyone that this vaccine should be taken and do everything possible to make sure we all get vaccinated. But stick to science and not politics as we roll out the plan. The elderly are the most vulnerable, and they should be in the first group to get the shots along with the health care workers and first responders.