The Tale of Two Americas edition. Between 2018 and 2020, COVID-19 forced an unprecedented drop in life expectancy in the U.S. For non-Hispanic whites, the drop was 1.36 years. For Hispanics, it was 3.88 years; the decline was 3.25 years for non-Hispanic Blacks. Still, although the pace of vaccinations for Blacks and Hispanics is improving, in the 40 states keeping records by race, only 33 percent of Blacks and 38 percent of Hispanics have at least one dose, compared to 46 percent of whites.

In Vermont, 75 percent of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated. That’s roughly double the 38 percent of Mississippians who have received both shots. In Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wyoming, fewer than half of residents are fully vaccinated. And the more infectious and dangerous delta variant of COVID-19 is on the rise – 20 percent of new cases in the U.S. are of the delta variety, double over the past two weeks. This is one tale of two Americas – mostly vaccinated states have at least some protection from community transmission because there are fewer places for the virus to spread. But in under-vaccinated states, mostly in the South but also in some Midwestern states, cases are climbing. In Missouri, hospitalizations are up 160 percent over the past month – and in some parts of the Show-Me State, only one in four of adults are fully vaccinated.

“There are two Americas, as they say. If you’re in vaccinated America, things are really, really good for you right now,” said Neil J. Sehgal, an assistant professor of health policy at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. “If you’re in unvaccinated America, well, there’s still a risk for you — and it’s not small.”

Of course, there is another tale of two Americas. It is a tale that existed long before the pandemic, a tale whose narrative was even more clearly delineated during the pandemic’s height. This is a tale of hardship, racial inequality, and longstanding barriers that hinder opportunity and steal years of life from the most vulnerable Americans – people of color, women, and those with the lowest incomes.

It is more clear than ever that if we want to write a new tale, we must start with and build upon the American Families and Jobs Plans. These comprehensive plans will redress inequities that have contributed to more deaths and fewer vaccinations by race and region. If we want to “build back better” we need more than just roads and bridges – we need a strong foundation of economic, health, and family security for all of us.

One Nation. Not two Americas. If you agree, please tell your Senators and Representative to act. Now. 

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