North Carolina has taken a data-driven approach to equitable vaccine distribution. This includes removing systemic barriers to vaccine access, such as transportation, increasing vaccine allotments for counties with larger populations from historically marginalized communities, and prioritizing community-based vaccination approaches. Vaccine providers are required to use the state’s vaccine management system, which requires demographic data to register someone for a shot. This has improved data collection and increased the equitable distribution of vaccines. In July 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report highlighting how North Carolina’s focus on equity in administering vaccines increased COVID-19 vaccination rates in Black and Hispanic communities.
