| Home > Resources > Leadership > Executive Summary > Case Studies Case Study Polled Americans Expect Discrimination during Smallpox Outbreak Seventy-two percent of respondents to a national poll said they believed that if it were not possible to vaccinate everyone quickly during a smallpox outbreak in their community, wealthy and influential people would get the vaccine first. Nearly half (43%) thought that the elderly would experience discrimination, and one-fourth (22%) believed that African-Americans would experience discrimination. Decision-makers can account for income disparities in contingency plans by setting up vaccination clinics in locations accessible to people without transportation and by informing the public about plans to make free or low-cost emergency treatment or prophylaxis available. To ensure that potentially marginalized constituents understand that their interests will be protected in a health emergency, officials should engage with them in non-crisis times, ideally through health programs that address specific needs of these populations. Reference Blendon RJ, DesRoches CM, Benson JM, et al. The public and the smallpox threat. N Engl J Med 2003; 348(5). |
