Page 26 - DMN2Q21

ENTRY - JOSEPH J. WEISS, MD MEMORIAL ESSAY CONTEST
FEEL ITS WARMTH
NAVID MAHABADI, DO - INTERNAL MEDICINE, WSU/DMC
An ancient African proverb states, “the child that is
not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel
its warmth.” Disparities in vaccine distribution and hours lost in youth education as a result of the COVID pandemic are matters of domestic equity and justice that must be addressed, otherwise they will pose a serious threat to everyone’s future.
Disparities in vaccine distribution render vaccine theory and herd immunity obsolete, and ultimately put the entire population at risk. The “herd,” refers to people you interact with in your community on a daily basis. And you want everyone around you to be actively mounting immune responses to the offending pathogens and not shedding the virus to their fellow “herd” members.
Being that we are only as strong as our weakest link, any disparity in vaccine distribution would cause deficiencies in the herd’s collective immunity and cause outbreaks like the Measles outbreak we saw at Disneyland in 2015.
Vaccine nationalism is a psychological remnant of the fervent nationalism that was in vogue prior to November 2020. Vaccine nationalism does not afflict America to the extent it does the rest of the world, because after
all, Michigan and Ohio never had 100-year war like the British and the French did. However, the underlying psychology of “us versus them” is what fundamentally
underwrites the disparities we see in vaccine distribution. Unfortunately, Americans are not immune to this disease of the mind, that one might argue is a worse pandemic than COVID-19.
As of March 29th, 2021 the CDC reported that race & ethnicity was reported in 53% of people who had received the first dose of the vaccine nationwide and among this group, 66% were white, 9% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% Asian, and 1% were Native American. In Michigan of those
who did receive the vaccine: 8% were black versus 81% were white. With respect to Michigan’s total population, of the percent vaccinated 31% were Asian, 20% White, 12% Black, and 7% were Hispanic. Vaccination rate among White American’s was a 2:1 ratio with respect
to Hispanics, and a 1.7:1 ratio with respect to Black Americans. McKinsey & Company conducted a study
that revealed the estimated student loss of learning time due to COVID was approximately 12 months for minority children whereas it was 8 months for White children. Furthermore, McKinsey & Company estimated lifetime income loss of $2200 per year for black kids compared
to a lifetime income loss of $1400 per year for white
kids. We must prevent this divide from becoming more entrenched and prevent this divide from affecting future generations.
26 Detroit Medical News Second Quarter 2021