“Dallas had a chance to prioritize vaccinating the communities that need it the most. Can someone explain why Texas said no?”

Dallas County health officials recently tried to roll out a vaccine distribution plan focused on predominantly Black and Latinx communities, but Texas officials blocked the effort. As Dr. Jeff Livingston writes in the Medium Coronavirus Blog, the state threatened to withhold vaccine deliveries if the city did not change its policy.

Throughout the pandemic, public health experts have argued that racial minorities should be prioritized for the vaccine. As staff writer Drew Costley wrote last year, Black Americans have been hit especially hard by Covid-19 largely because of racist policies relating to housing, employment, and health. He has also written about the disproportionately negative impacts of heat waves, hazardous waste, and wildfires on Black and Brown communities across the country. Time and time again, a fundamental reason for this inequality is racist policies.

What’s happening in Texas is no exception. It perpetuates the long history of racist health care access in the United States and rebuffs the guidance of scientists advocating for a more just system. As we look to build a better future, Texas provides a lesson on exactly what not to do.

Read the full story on Dallas here:

Texas Blocks Efforts to Vaccinate Communities of Color