Sociodemographic Disparities In Access To COVID-19 Vaccines Upon Initial Rollout In Florida.

In this study we explored sociodemographic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access upon initial rollout at Publix grocery store locations throughout Florida in January 2021. Florida officials reported that they chose Publix stores for the vaccine rollout because the chain has so many stores in the state and was considered at the time to be better prepared than other retailers. Data on education levels, ethnicity, race, percentage at or below the poverty level, and percentage single-parent households were collected from the 2019 census for 974 Florida ZIP codes. We used hotspot analysis to measure spatial clustering of Publix vaccination sites per 100,000 people. We identified hot spots (areas with greater vaccine availability) in moderately populated areas where the population was significantly older, richer, and Whiter than in areas of lower vaccine availability (cold spots). Cold spots were identified in areas of low and high population density, areas with a higher proportion of Hispanic residents, and areas with a higher proportion of single-parent households, including Miami-Dade County and inland regions of Florida. Multivariate analysis showed strong associations between the number of vaccination sites in a ZIP code and race and ethnicity and a weaker association with percentage of residents at or below the poverty level. Future vaccine distribution should continue to be monitored through a socioeconomic lens to help prevent unequal access.

Superficial Radiation Therapy: A Viable Nonsurgical Option for Treating Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lower Extremities

Background: Superficial radiation therapy (SRT) is a nonsurgical method of treating basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lesions on the lower extremities of older individuals that might otherwise suffer complications or prolonged healing following surgical intervention. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SRT for treating BCC and SCC lesions on the lower extremities of elderly patients in an outpatient clinic setting. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed using data from consecutive patients with BCC and SCC on their lower extremities and were treated with SRT. Results: The review included patients with biopsy-proven BCC (n=38, 25%) and SCC (n=113, 75%). The mean patient age was 82.5 years and the follow-up period was ≥4 years (32%), 3 years (30%), 2 years (20%), and ≤2 years (17%). The overall success rate was over 97%. Four lesions (one BCC and three SCCs) recurred equally between genders (2 males and 2 females) with lesions >1.0 cm and all lesions were eventually cleared with other modalities. Conclusions: Superficial radiation therapy is an effective option for eliminating BCC and SCC on lower extremities of patients who opt for nonsurgical treatment. Using SRT for BCC and SCC in elderly patients resulted in a 97.4% cure rate. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(2):130-134.