It’s Time to Retire “Vulnerable Communities”

In public health, dear readers, talking about “vulnerable” communities, populations, or individuals is standard fare. We’ve all said it many times when referring to communities we’re prioritizing with our communications or programs. But this week, we wanted to make a case for retiring it from our vernacular. Why? Well, the term can put the blame on the very people we’re trying to help. And beyond that, it’s a card-carrying member of the “just plain vague” club — in a pretty problematic way.