>> ANOTHER DECISION IMPEDING
ACCESS, VACCINE TOURISM.
DHS ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH
WALGREENS TO DISTRIBUTE THE
VACCINE TO UNDER-SERVED
COMMUNITIES.
HOWEVER, PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE
AREA CAN TAKE UP APPOINTMENTS AT
NEIGHBORHOOD PHARMACIES WHERE
THEY DON'T RESIDE AND THEN
EXPEND THE LIMITED VACCINE
SUPPLY.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN GWEN
MOORE SPOKE TO MARISA ABOUT
THIS.
>> WHY IS THERE A LACK OF ACCESS
IN YOUR DISTRICT?
>> I WOULDN'T ATTRIBUTE TOURISM
TO THE ENTIRE PROBLEM?
MAYBE THE ENTIRE PROBLEM IS MANY
OF MY CONSTITUENTS, PEOPLE OF
COLOR, THE SYSTEM IS ALREADY
BUILT UP AND DESIGNED TO PROVIDE
VACCINE INADVERTENTLY TO WHITE
PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE
MEDICAL PROFESSION, PEOPLE WHO,
YOU KNOW, AS FIRST PRIORITY,
PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER 65.
THE MEDIAN AGE OF WHITE PEOPLE,
THE COST OF THE BABYBOOMER
GENERATION AFTER WORLD WAR II
ARE WHITE.
AND SO I THINK THAT MAKES
TOURISM SO MUCH MORE EGREGIOUS
IS THAT THE INEQUITIES ARE
ALREADY BUILT IN.
>> AND IN PARTICULAR TO VACCINE
TOURISM, WHAT WERE YOU PROPOSING
TO DHS AND TO WALGREENS IN ORDER
TO PREVENT THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE
FROM HAPPENING?
>> IF YOU ARE SAY A WALGREENS
SERVING AN AREA WHERE YOU KNOW
THAT THERE ARE HIGHER RATES OF
PANDEMIC OR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE,
IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO ASK FOR I.D.
AND ASK FOR ADDRESS, TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU'RE MEETING THOSE
CLIENTS.
BUT MORE PARTICULARLY, WE ARE
ASKING WALGREENS TO USE THEIR
SAME SYSTEM WHERE THEY REACH OUT
TO PEOPLE TO REMIND THEM TO PICK
UP REFILL PRESCRIPTIONS, PEOPLE
WHO ARE ALREADY IN THEIR
DATABASE AND LIVE WITHIN THEIR
SERVICE AREA, TO REACH OUT TO
THEM, JUST TO NOTIFY THEM THAT
THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.
AND THEY WERE RECEPTIVE TO USING
TECHNOLOGY THAT'S READILY
AVAILABLE TO THEM.
JUST SORT OF THINKING OUT OF THE
BOXMENT IT'S
BOX.
IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO PUT
EXTRA INITIATIVES INTO ALL
ELEMENTS OF VACCINE HESITATION,
TOURISM, LACK OF AVAILABILITY TO
CERTAIN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF
AGE DIFFERENCES.
THAT'S EVEN GREATER WHEN YOU GET
TO THE LATINX COMMUNITY, THAT
AGE DISPARITY, AND TO REALLY
CREATE A VACCINE SO THAT WE'RE
NOT IN THIS HUNGER GAMES
SITUATION.
>> TO SEE THE EXTENDED
INTERVIEWS WITH DR. FRANK FRANCO