With the worst of COVID-19 fading as Coloradans return to normal, it’s a good time to assess our pandemic response. That includes, as The Gazette reported earlier this month, an analysis of disparities in COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Gazette reported how, a year after vaccines became readily available, the vaccination rate for Hispanics still is almost half of what it is for white Coloradans (76.8%), with fewer than 40% of Latinos “partially” vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s a “frustrating but unsurprising” trend to advocates of “equitable vaccine uptake and access.”

Concerned officials say the statistical chasm is due to access issues, a lack of “culturally-aware” outreach and broader racial “inequities.” Critics are further alarmed by a February Kaiser Family Foundation report showing Colorado has the second-largest vaccination disparity of any state between whites and Hispanics.

It’s perhaps inevitable that some community leaders will look at the statistics and assume “systemic racism.” More vehement critics, like health-equity consultant Julissa Soto, told the Gazette “every single clinic” recently organized by the state to reach Hispanics “has gone wrong,” adding “nobody cares about my community.”

Yet, we should hesitate to reflexively view the statistics through this lens. There are other plausible explanations.

Members of racial, ethnic or other minorities make personal judgments after weighing relevant variables – just like anyone else. Among Latinos, that certainly includes many who haven’t received more than one dose because they had previous exposure and recovery via natural COVID-19 infection. And, as in various faiths, there are many Latino Christians in Colorado who didn’t get a shot for personal faith-based and ethical reasons – namely, because aborted fetal cell tissue was used during vaccine research and development.

Also, the Hispanic population includes various racial backgrounds, and many Hispanics also identify as “white.” So it shouldn’t be surprising the state Department of Public Health and Environment told The Gazette that Hispanics are less likely than other groups to self-report their ethnicity when getting vaccinated.

As for the efforts of state agencies – entities that are unquestionably focused on “equity” – the reality is they worked feverishly to vaccinate Latinos, other minorities and all Coloradans. Heather Roth, the state’s immunization branch chief, told the Gazette when Colorado’s vaccine supply was thin last year, the state set aside 15% for equity clinics. It also launched mobile buses and pop-up clinics to reach “underserved” communities. More than 2,100 pop-ups administered 523,000 doses, and nearly 3,000 mobile clinics administered another 217,000 in “key equity areas.”

The truth every Coloradan has seen each day through the past year is all of us – white, Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, you name it – have been directly exposed to, provided and afforded COVID-19 vaccine clinics routinely. Shots are there for the taking at grocery stores, pharmacies, schools – seemingly everywhere.

Roth herself says the state is “not happy” with the statistical gap. Alas, government’s role during the pandemic has been to help all citizens have access to beneficial resources, including vaccines. Taking advantage of that access would seem wise.

Yet, at the end of the day, it is still up to each individual to get vaccinated. It’s the reality of living in a free society.

Denver Gazette editorial board