Studies have noted the discrepancy on COVID-19 vaccines against Black and Hispanic people - receiving less despite the disproportionate cases from these communities. Now, a popular live event producer intends to make a difference - starting with Vallejo, California.

Bill Hammond, a Black entrepreneur and founder of a premier entertainment event production company in the country, has shifted his energy and his power from star-studded social events to serving the underserved community.

He has then taken the lead in having a COVID-19 vaccination site set to tackle racial inequality. Located at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, California, the site aims to offer the vaccine to the most vulnerable and underserved parts of the community, as well as those surrounding the area.

(Photo : Suden PR)

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A Rebound in a Different Direction

When the global coronavirus pandemic started shutting down businesses left and right last 2020, Hammond Entertainment was not spared - losing 70 percent of its projected income due to canceled events. The Los Angeles-based entrepreneur saw his freelance staff, personnel, and even business associates financially buckle in its wake.

He then received a call from healthcare company Kaiser Permanente to help run a vaccination site. For Bill Hammond, it was a no-brainer.

Within three days, the event organizer found a strategic location, enlisted a team of leadership volunteers "Road Warriors," and moved back to San Francisco from Los Angeles to personally oversee the facility.

The Solano County Fairgrounds vaccination site is critical as California identified parts of Vallejo as having among the highest infection rates. Currently, the site administers around 4,000 shots per day. 

(Photo : Suden PR)

Aside from working to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to underserved communities in California, Bill Hammond is also looking to find ways to help people return by creating more than 170 jobs for his local community.

As for the Solano County Fairgrounds, the 140-acre facility was set up by Hammond with support from multiple partners: Solano County Public Health, Kaiser Permanente, North Bay Healthcare, Medic Ambulance, Partnership HealthPlan of California, and Touro University California.

Racial Inequality in the Face of COVID

A recent release from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) - a non-profit that conducts research and journalistic coverage of health issues - notes that preventing racial disparity in administering COVID-19 vaccines is important in mitigating its disproportionate effects on people of color.

Additionally, a recent demographic breakdown of COVID vaccinations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of April 6, race and ethnicity are known for only 55 percent of people who have received at least one shot of the vaccine. In this population, nearly two-thirds of them were White (65 percent) compared to only 11 percent Hispanics, 8 percent Black, 5 percent Asian, 1 percent for Alaska or Native Americans, and more.

Further data presented by the KFF further illustrates this disconnect in the delivery of the vaccines to the public. However, the report also notes how several states are implementing strategies to close the gap, with the federal government working to improve accessibility and public uptake.

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