Doctor ‘Extremely Concerned’ About Low Vaccination Rate Among Lompoc Prisoners
Court-Ordered Medical Inspection Also Uncovers Glaring Deficiencies in COVID-19 Death Reviews
A second court-ordered medical inspection of the Lompoc prison complex ― where a major COVID-19 outbreak last spring killed at least four inmates and sickened more than 1,000 ― has revealed an alarmingly low vaccination acceptance rate among the population.
Dr. Homer Venters, the epidemiologist who performed the inspection as part of a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), said he was “extremely concerned” about the roughly 50 percent rate, which he attributed to prison staff neglecting to address inmates’ “very valid and predictable concerns” about the effects the vaccine might have on their underlying health conditions.
Venters interviewed 67 prisoners on April 20 and 21, 33 of whom had refused the COVID-19 vaccine, citing worries about how it might impact their heart disease, autoimmune disorder, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and other diagnoses. The majority of the all-male Lompoc complex is low-security and houses elderly individuals.
