In the shadows of Richmond Raceway, vaccination irony becomes evident | The Henrico Citizen – Henrico Citizen

The Henrico community thats proven the most difficult to vaccinate is the one that sits within eyesight of the regions most successful vaccination hub, where more than 150,000 doses of vaccine have been administered.

That irony, though, may not be surprising.

The communities adjacent to the Richmond Raceway, where Henrico and Virginia Department of Health officials have been holding mass vaccination events for more than three months and which just this week surpassed that 150,000-vaccination mark, are among the most vulnerable in the county.

Overwhelmingly, residents of Census tract 2008.05 (a 1.9-square-mile area that extends from just south of Laburnum Avenue near the raceway north to encompass the raceway, St. Luke Apartments and the Forest Lawn Cemetery, among other pockets of homes) are young, single, poor and Black, according to U.S. Census American Community Survey data from 2019.

More than 41% of the 3,700 or so residents there are living below the poverty line, earning an average of just more than $22,000 annually per capita. Two-thirds of residents are 39 or younger. Eighty-five percent of those 15 or older are single. About 87% are Black.

Taken separately, most of those demographics present clear challenges for health officials seeking to vaccinate as many people as possible.

Together? They create a perfect storm of vaccination resistance even if that resistance isnt entirely intentional.

A shift in strategy

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts serve both localities, which include a total of 130 Census tracts (64 in Henrico, 66 in the city). The Henrico tract that includes the raceway is the only one in the county that ranks among the bottom 20% for vaccinations within the RHHDs territory, according to data provided to the Citizen by the districts; the others are all in Richmond.

That reality that people within walking distance of the raceway are being vaccinated at a lower rate than those in every other Henrico community exemplifies the challenge facing health officials as they move into the next phase of vaccinations.

Henrico residents who wanted to be vaccinated as soon as possible now have had that opportunity. RHHD officials had offered vaccination appointments to nearly everyone on their pre-registration list a week ago. Now, they must be proactive and strategic in how they reach out to those who havent yet gotten a shot.

They hope that increasing access to the vaccine will be a good starting point but that doesnt just mean physical location of vaccination sites. After all, physical proximity isnt an issue for residents who live near the raceway, but time and availability might be.

With so many single adults and such a high percentage of children living in the raceways Census tract an estimated 30% of its population is younger than 16 working parents struggling to make ends meet simply may not have the time or ability to schedule a vaccination during a work day even if they want to.

Those who are younger than 16 arent eligible to be vaccinated yet anyway (though emergency use authorization for children and teens 12 to 15 could come within days for the Pfizer vaccine). That reality may be partly to blame for the low vaccination totals among residents near the raceway in particular, too.

Walk-up appointments, like the ones available on select days through the end of the month at the raceway, Virginia Union University, George Wythe High School and 342 CVS locations in Virginia, among others, should make it easier for some to get the vaccine.

But theres also still vaccine hesitancy statewide and nationally among some in the Black community, leery of previous vaccine and medical mistreatment of the community throughout U.S. history. In Henrico, Blacks account for nearly 30% of the population but only about 19% of all vaccinations, as of April 26, according to RHHD data. By contrast, whites compose about 54% of the population bu tmore than 61% of those who have been vaccinated.

RHHD community health worker Ivy Bell has heard other explanations while working in local communities to administer vaccines about why some people are choosing not to get the shot.

The most shocking was people who were wanting to get it but were listening to other people who didnt want to get it on why they shouldnt get it, Bell said. A number of others told Bell they were waiting to get the vaccine to ensure that it was safe.

But, she said, some younger people were interested in being vaccinated.

They were asking were they old enough to get it, she said.

In general, though, plenty of young, healthy adults simply havent made vaccination a priority because they are at a much lower risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19 if they get the virus. In Henrico, only about 10% of those who had been vaccinated through April 26 were in their 20s, according to the RHHD. (The median age of residents of Tract 2008.05 is about 28.6.)

Addressing social vulnerabilities

In addition to the Census track surrounding the raceway, officials from the RHHD have flagged 11 other tracts in Henrico as areas of vaccination concern either because they rank high in social vulnerability categories that put residents at greater risk for negative consequences from the virus or hinder their efforts to be vaccinated (6); have experienced a high COVID-19 case burden (3); or both (2).

One of the latter two tracts sits adjacent to the raceway tract, just to the west; the other is a bit farther east, also along the Richmond-Henrico line (north of I-64 and south of Creighton Road, bisected by Dabbs House Road).

RHHD officials are spending time in each of those Census tracts in Henrico (and in 27 in Richmond), working to have conversations with residents to answer their questions about the vaccine.

Some folks really appreciate that one on one, wanting to talk to a person in person, said RHHD Health Equity Director Jackie Lawrence. We always try to pair our staff in communities with folks who have cultural relativity. In some communities, door-knocking is ok. In other communities, its maybe not the best to knock on doors.

In the latter instances, officials may visit laundromats or other places that attract people instead, she said.

We know that hesitancy is a big player here, Lawrence said. By no means is the health department trying to force anyone or persuade anyone we want to provide information, so that way people can make their own decisions.

Weve found that when people have way more information, we notice a shift. We believe [information] is the main pillar of empowerment.

At the same time, health workers continue to encounter a steady stream of misinformation as they talk with people.

There is so much going on that is not factual, Lawrence said.

She and RHHD Nurse Manager Amy Popovich encourage people who have been vaccinated to share their experiences honestly good or bad with those who havent been.

If today someone is not ready, thats ok, Popovich said. You can invite them back to talk to you later about it. If folks are not ready, there will be time later, too.

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In the shadows of Richmond Raceway, vaccination irony becomes evident | The Henrico Citizen - Henrico Citizen