'Awakening to the power of racism': Some legal and health experts recommended minorities get prioritized access to a potential coronavirus vaccine as the federal government begins to finalize distribution plans and two pharmaceutical companies have reported positive trial results. The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a final report in October recommending a phased vaccine distribution plan, which would indirectly prioritize minority communities. U.S. black and indigenous populations have suffered the worst from the pandemic with both groups experiencing a mortality rate exceeding 1 in 1,000 nationally, according to APM Research Lab.