A new vaccine equity planning tool has been launched by Ariadne Labs. It shows vaccine deserts, defined as areas with limited access to vaccinations. You can pick a state or zip code and see where these are. Here is Ohio.
There is a pretty clear pattern of rural areas having the least access. In contrast, earlier in 2021, there were rural and urban deserts as detailed by a Deloitte study quoted in the Missouri Independent. Here is a map showing (in blue) the deserts of Missouri,
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| Images via the Kansas City Star |
and a close up of Kansas City.
The Ariadne tool is designed so that planners can advance their outreach to the areas most in need. From their web page.
“Vaccines are now increasingly available across the U.S., yet there is still a population struggling with access. Not everyone has the ability or time to spend an hour out of their workday or more to get their vaccine. By accounting for different modes of transportation — including public transit and walking — we hope public health officials and providers will gain a deeper understanding of how to reach all communities,” said Katherine Chou, Director, Product Management, Google Health.
Some of these deserts are in empty, disconnected, or wet areas such as this spot on the coast of Maryland so the tool is imperfect, like everything in mapping.
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