Vaccine Equity
Guest Dr. Nathan Chomilo is the former director of vaccine equity for the Minnesota Department of Health. Dr. Chomilo sat down with Jerome to discuss how health officials at the highest levels decided who would get first access to the COVID-19 vaccine when it was still in short supply.
It may seem like ancient history but there was a time when COVID-19 vaccinations were hard to come by. People were anxiously refreshing hastily put together websites to make appointments at local clinics and pharmacies. Other people networked together to identify locations that would allow for walk-in vaccinations because getting an appointment was – for some – nearly impossible.
At the heart of this surge in demand for the vaccine, there were conversations at the Minnesota Department of Health that decided who could have access to the vaccine and when. They used data and statistical models to identify where the virus was doing the greatest amount of harm and then they fashioned policies that gave first-access to those people who were most in need.
As the director of vaccine equity, Dr. Chomilo was instrumental crafting those policies. And in this conversation with Jerome, he shared his approach to equity with regard to the COVID-19 vaccine.
