Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued the following statement on regional equity concerns in North Carolina’s vaccine distribution plan:

“For weeks, I’ve spoken with county health officials, constituents, and members of Operation Warp Speed regarding North Carolina’s progress on vaccine distribution. I’ve been present within countless conversations, and I’m troubled by the Cooper Administration’s previous actions. If Governor Cooper and his health advisors are to lead the state in vaccination efforts, their volatile strategy of distribution can’t be prolonged any further.

“Public health and transparency are true bedfellows, but when clear and concise directives from state officials and health authorities are not acted upon and made clear to the public, the floodgates are opened to numerous inequities and mismanagement. Hardworking citizens in Western North Carolina fear being left behind by their own government, and they’re beyond outraged at the efforts to date to protect them.

“This vaccine distribution effort was funded by federal taxpayer dollars, and doses are distributed to states equitably based on population. Simply put, the Cooper Administration should be operating under the same standards of transparency and equity but have failed to do so. Moreover, the Cooper Administration launched its efforts under a flawed premise that North Carolina would be penalized if it gave vaccination equity its rightful place in this process. That premise is wholly incorrect, and now is the time to correct that egregious misstep.

“At a time when cases are on the rise, families fear for their livelihoods, and the state is reeling from the devastating economic impacts of this virus, rural and urban counties within the state should not be left to fend for themselves. I call on Governor Cooper to immediately address this issue and to prevent further missteps in this process from recurring. Unnecessary and costly delays further strain the health and safety of North Carolinians.”