People of color could be prioritized in Oregon's vaccine rollout
A COVID-19 vaccine advisory committee that gives recommendations on priority groups to Oregon's governor and public health officials will vote Thursday on whether to focus next on people of color, according to The Associated Press.
Others, such as people with chronic medical conditions, essential workers, refugees, inmates and people under 65 living in group settings, are also being considered as the next eligible group to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the state.
The committee is also deciding whether to focus on some combination of groups at higher risk from COVID-19, according to AP.
![PHOTO: An Oregon Health & Science University nurse practitioner rings a bell and cheers for a vehicle full of newly-vaccinated people at a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 24, 2021.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/covid-vaccinations-portland-ap-210_hpEmbed_20210128-044648_3x2_992.jpg)
The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color in the United States.
"It's about revealing the structural racism that remains hidden," Dr. Kelly Gonzales, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a health disparity expert on Oregon's COVID-19 advisory committee, told AP. "It influences the disparities we experienced before the pandemic and exacerbated the disparities we experienced during the pandemic."