September 26, 2021
This Week in Human Rights News
Trans people globally are facing barriers to Covid-19 vaccine access due to identity documents, mistreatment at clinics
Sources: International Commission of Jurists, Daily Star, Outlook, Pink News
Since Covid-19 vaccination campaigns began, access to them has not been equitable. On a larger scale, this is due, in part, to vaccine hoarding by wealthier countries and by pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer intimidating countries in vaccine negotiations. But even when a country does have vaccines, trans people face additional barriers to accessing them.
In Indonesia, trans women have faced difficulty accessing vaccines due to a lack of identity cards. 50 to 60% of senior trans women do not have proper documentation, and getting the procedure to obtain them is lengthy and complicated. To get an ID card, one must present a Family Card, a document that is issued to the head of the family. Because many trans women have been kicked out or fled their homes as a result of domestic violence and abuse, providing this card is not an option. Additionally, trans women who want to process their documents in accordance with their gender identity first have to obtain an affirmation of gender from a court - adding another hurdle to the documentation process.
In Bangladesh, trans women have experienced harassment at vaccine clinics and have even been turned away from centres during mass vaccination drives. One woman shared her experience, stating that her deadname was called out loud by staff and she was made to wait for a long time after the staffer was ‘astonished’ by her female appearance. Other clinic-goers also began taunting the woman.
In the United States, a trans woman was denied a Covid-19 vaccine because her ID card still contained her deadname. Despite telling authorities that her name change paperwork was in process, she was not allowed access. She was able to get a vaccine shot after news of the story broke.
In India, Dr. Aqsa Shaikh, became the only trans woman to head a Covid vaccine centre. “Whenever we have a disease outbreak, the discrimination and stigmatisation that marginalised communities face increase manifold,” she said in an interview. In addition to facing misplaced blame for Covid-19 outbreaks and a higher rate of socioeconomic hardship, trans people have also been denied transitional hormone therapy treatments for the past year.
Structural barriers to healthcare and mistreatment in medical facilities occurred for trans people before Covid-19. Racism, homophobia, and transphobia are still deeply embedded in the medical and scientific research fields, and the result is an underrepresentation of people who are not white and not cisgender in crucial research processes like clinical trials.
“So, even though there is no scope for discrimination in the vaccination programme, our entire healthcare system is designed in such a way that it is inaccessible to most trans people.” added Dr. Aqsa Shaikh.
Representation in scientific and medical breakthroughs, in addition to proper, long term community outreach for trans folks, are crucial to achieving public health for everyone.