COLUMBUS — The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation on Wednesday called on Gov. Mike DeWine to include Blacks as a vulnerable group.
As with other designated groups, Blacks are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19, the group stated.
“African Americans are disproportionally affected by COVID-19, but were not considered when Gov. DeWine rolled out the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Barbara Sykes, CEO, and President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. “Black Ohioans have been underserved and not getting a cure.”
Sykes mentioned the decline in life expectancy for Blacks, amid the pandemic.
“Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the life expectancy of African Americans has dropped by 2.7 years, almost 3 years in the last six months because of COVID-19,” Sykes said. “We know Black Americans are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 as White Americans, and Black Americans are also dying at rates similar to those of Whites who are 10 years older.”
Sykes said the best predictor of Covid-19 vulnerability is not only age; it’s race, and the solution is simple, prioritize Black Ohioans getting vaccinations.
“The only way we can hope to stop this disproportionate and devastating impact upon the Black community is by getting the vaccine in the arms of Black people,” Sykes said.
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation strives to be the pre-eminent hub for non-partisan analysis examining the impact of public policy on Black communities.
OLBC works to advance Ohio’s Blacks through educational research, facilitation of public policy development, and analyzing issues of social and economic importance including, but not limited to, promotion, inclusion, and diversification in the public and private sector.
