During the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US, the per capita death rate for black Americans was nearly twice the rate for whites and more than twice the rate for Asians. The death rate for Latinos was “in the middle,” substantially lower than the rate for blacks, but still above average.

Despite the pandemic opening up ethnic inequality in access to health care, over time, and more recently, these rates have reversed, according to The New York Times’ publication.

“Over the past year, the Covid death rate for white Americans has been 14 percent higher than the rate for Black Americans and 72 percent higher than the Latino rate, according to the latest C.D.C. data”.

This remarkable turnabout is the result of the increase in vaccination among blacks and Latin Americans in the country since last year. Today, the vaccination rate for both groups is slightly higher than for white Americans, according to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported by the NYT.

According to the publication, this was thanks to intense outreach efforts by medical workers, community organizers and others. Public health campaigns had the potential to narrow racial differences during the pandemic.

“Certainly, there are important caveats to the Covid story. For one thing, the total death rate remains higher for Black and Latino Americans, because the early disparities were so huge. […] Even with these caveats, the larger story remains: Covid has killed a smaller percentage of Black, Latino or Asian Americans over the past year than white Americans. To deny that reality is to miss an important part of the Covid story”.

There is, however, a worrying factor that could explain this reality. According to the NYT, the share of white Americans who have received a vaccine has not increased significantly. Politics could be the main reason for this to happen.

“Only about 60 percent of Republican adults are vaccinated, compared with about 75 percent of independents and more than 90 percent of Democrats”, according to the Kaiser Foundation data. And Republicans are both overly white and older. Together, these facts help explain why death rate among whites has recently been higher than the Asian, Black or Latino rate.

“In heavily conservative white communities, leaders have not done a good job explaining the vaccine’s benefits and Covid’s risks, as leaders in Black and Latino communities. Instead, many conservative media figures, politicians, clergy members and others have amplified false or misleading information about the vaccines. Millions of Americans, in turn, have chosen not to receive a lifesaving shot. Some have paid with their lives”.