COVID-19 vaccine rollout puts a spotlight on unequal internet access

Some of the same internet have-nots who have been at risk of losing access to remote education, telemedicine and social connections throughout the pandemic are now at risk of being left out when it comes to registering for the vaccine. In many states, elderly populations are among the first eligible for the vaccine, but with registration largely taking place online, some are forced to lean on family members and volunteers with high-speed internet and more digital know-how to register. Vaccine distribution is "yet another casualty of the digital divide," said Gigi Sohn, a counselor to the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama administration. The lack of broadband access risks exacerbating the impacts of the pandemic on populations that have been hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus.