College hosted a BIPOC-only vaccine clinic
Middlebury College hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for only BIPOC individuals.
The event is another example of race-based vaccine distribution programs receiving criticism.
Middlebury College co-hosted the BIPOC vaccination clinic on April 28 with the Rutland Area NAACP and the Vermont Department of Health.
The VDH planned to distribute 102 doses of the vaccine to BIPOC students, staff, faculty, and community members who registered in advance.
Mia Shultz, Rutland Area NAACP president, was enthusiastic that the college offered this event. ”This is a step toward acknowledgement and recognition for the need for health equity,” Shultz said in a Middlebury College press release.
But on campus, questions surrounding who qualifies as a member of a BIPOC household caused the editorial board of the college’s student newspaper, The Middlebury Campus, to state that “in the wake of this rush to get vaccinated, many BIPOC students were left feeling tokenized and exploited.”
[RELATED: Emory student newspaper: Require COVID-19 vaccine, but not for minority students]
This isn’t the first time Campus Reform has reported on race being an influence on vaccine-related decisions.
Earlier this year, the Oregon COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory board had planned to prioritize offering vaccines to BIPOC individuals, then backtracked after questions arose about its legality.
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