In 2021, states had to choose how to distribute a scarce number of Covid-19 vaccines. One approach was to do so based on individuals’ risk of death from the virus. Another was to do so geographically, based on “equity.” More than two dozen states did this, using something called the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)—a race-based formula created by the federal government.
The index, originating with the Centers for Disease Control in 2011, supposedly measures each county’s likelihood of suffering adverse consequences from natural disasters or other emergencies. In theory, the SVI allows relief workers effectively to triage scarce resources. In practice, it enables federal agencies and state governments to justify denying aid to neighborhoods because of race.
