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Even before the pandemic, public health leaders knew there were wide disparities in health care for people of color. But COVID-19 brought that into sharp focus.

 Indigenous, Black and Pacific Islander Americans experienced the highest death tolls from COVID-19. Conversely, those same groups are getting immunized against the disease at lower rates. The

 for Black Americans is about half that for white Americans. The vaccination rate for Latinos is even lower.

Given these numbers, scientists are re-examining their medical and research ethics and procedures for people of color. Earlier this month, the University of Minnesota’s Consortium on Law and Values held

 to discuss some of the most urgent questions surrounding these issues. 

Thursday, we aired a frank discussion between MPR News host Kerri Miller and a speaker at that event — one of the nation’s leading experts in racial health disparities.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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During the pandemic, Indigenous people and people of color  died more than their white counterparts — and now, as vaccines roll out, they are having a harder time getting immunized. Experts say this reveals how systemic inequality in health care hurts communities of color.

Racial disparities during COVID point to underlying problems

A woman gets her first COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Racial disparities during COVID point to underlying problems

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