Prioritizing Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations for Coronavirus Vaccination

The National Academy of Medicine has recommended that racial minority populations receive priority for vaccination because they have been hard hit by the pandemic and are "worse off" socioeconomically. US law is inconsistent on whether race/ethnicity can be an explicit criterion for achieving equity and diversity. Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, of Georgetown University and Michelle A. Williams, ScD, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discuss ways to achieve the public health objective of protecting vulnerable communities while adhering to law and ethics. Recorded October 14, 2020. Related Article(s): Is It Lawful and Ethical to Prioritize Racial Minorities for COVID-19 Vaccines?