DEERFIELD, Ill.— The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of equitable access to care. While the issue is by no means new, the pandemic has exposed very real cracks in our health care system that often leave some of the most vulnerable populations behind.

Black and Latinx Americans in particular have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet are among the most hesitant to get vaccinated — driven by deep-rooted systemic racism in the health care system and mistreatment by the medical community.

On Friday, February 26, Walgreens chief medical officer Dr. Kevin Ban sat down with Walgreens Boots Alliance SVP, Global Chief Diversity Officer Carlos Cubia and Chicago Urban League president and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson for a  conversation about vaccine equity and efforts underway to help fill important gaps in care that address the unique concerns of black and brown Americans.