Covid Booster Shots Threaten Repeat of Vaccine Access Inequities

The planned Covid-19 booster rollout threatens to worsen existing inequities facing minorities and lower-income communities, paving the way for Americans with the wherewithal to navigate their way to the front of the immunization line, health experts say.

Unclear messaging, complex appointment registrations, and a lack of a unified strategy were among the barriers for underserved populations during the initial vaccine rollout last winter. Some policy watchers worry the Biden administration—when it begins offering boosters for most Americans—may repeat many of the same steps that they say reinforced cultural, language, and geographic obstacles to vaccine access.

“In the absence of more ...