Undocumented immigrants’ fears may stop some from getting coronavirus vaccine

CNN — As vaccine distribution ramps up across the United States, advocates and public health experts are warning that more steps must be taken to make sure millions of undocumented immigrants have access to vaccines – and aren’t too scared to sign up. “If we are as a country to achieve herd immunity, that means non-citizens who live among us have to be immunized.” Many undocumented immigrants live in communities that have already been hit disproportionately by the coronavirus, and many have a higher risk for exposure because they’re essential workers on the frontlines, Mishori says. “It doesn’t take a lot,” she says, “to convince someone who has seen things like families separated at the border, kids separated from their parents, to think, ‘Well, this government Is not looking out for me, and why should I trust them?’” Page says she tells her patients she’ll be taking the vaccine, and she hopes they’ll do the same. “Otherwise this group of people will continue to be suffering disproportionately.” Asked by CNN whether – and how – vaccines would be made available to undocumented immigrants as part of the federal government’s distribution efforts, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement saying it was “not involved with this policy decision” and is working to make sure every American has access to the vaccine. “ICE will follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other relevant federal government guidance regarding vaccine prioritization to ensure detainees receive their vaccinations as quickly as possible,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.