Review the article: - summarize and evaluate the following article. Online-Only Vaccine Distribution Will Leave Too Many

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Review the article: - summarize and evaluate the
following article.
Online-Only Vaccine Distribution Will Leave Too Many Behind
As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has begun across the U.S.,
there have been numerous reports of people having trouble getting
it—not just because of its limited availability, but also because
some counties and states have chosen to require computer and
Internet access to sign up. This is a dangerous path. Implementing
online-only signup requirements effectively ensures that only
residents with computer and Internet access can sign up to receive
the vaccine. We implore anyone organizing vaccinations to provide
alternative signup options.
To distribute the vaccine to all who need it, we must meet
people where they are, even if that’s offline.
Restricting life-saving drugs, treatments, vaccines, or services to
those who have Internet and computer access will inevitably leave
some people behind—often the ones who need the services the most.
For one, Internet access is not universal in the United
States—upwards of 10% of Americans do not have Internet at all.
Recent research shows that more than 25% of those 65 and older do
not use the Internet. There are also gaps in use and availability
for racial minorities. Given that frontline workers are more likely
to be in a racial minority, to be elderly, or to live with someone
who is, it is especially critical that access to the vaccine be
offered through a variety of options that do not limit who can
obtain it.
That’s not to say that online services themselves are a problem.
They may work very well for many people. But it is simply
impossible to expect everyone to be able to navigate the sometimes
labyrinthine requirements for vaccine signups online. Digital
literacy is unevenly distributed, with rates decreasing in
populations that are older, or Black, Hispanic, or foreign born.
High-income and well-educated Internet users are much more likely
than others to use online government services. Having alternatives
to an online signup is necessary to ensure equity, especially as
many of the critical groups in need are also those who may benefit
most from other options.
The pandemic has already been particularly detrimental for many
of those same groups who lack reliable, high-speed Internet.
Already-marginalized young people have been disconnected from
education, rural and low-income communities have been separated
from everything from grocery options to conducting their
businesses, and seniors have been unable to obtain essential
services. While alternative options for vaccine signups, such as a
phone system, are easily overwhelmed, they are necessary for
ensuring that some of the most vulnerable populations have access.
We applaud all those working tirelessly to help end the COVID-19
pandemic, from researchers and scientists to those in government
and health organizations, to nurses, doctors, and volunteers. But
just as it takes a wide group of people working together to
accomplish this monumental task, it will also take more than just
the Internet to reach everyone. To distribute the vaccine to all
who need it, we must meet people where they are, even if that’s
offline.