Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has come under fire for a newly announced statewide vaccination protocol moving minorities to the head of the line based solely on their race.
The Republican governor announced Thursday that Black, Indigenous and people of color, known as BIPOC, may now sign up to be vaccinated against COVID-19, two weeks before the state plans to make available vaccines to anyone over the age of 16.
“If you or anyone in your household identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC), including anyone with Abenaki or other First Nations heritage, all household members who are 16 years or older can sign up to get a vaccine!” Mr. Scott tweeted.
Also eligible to be inoculated immediately are “English language learners and people in immigrant/refugee communities,” along with people over 50; those 16 and older with high-risk medical conditions; parents of children with high-risk conditions, and those working in health care, schools, and public safety.
The order was promptly blasted as discriminatory by conservative pundits such as Ian Miles Cheong, who tweeted, “No vaccines for whites, eh?”
