• Complete a chi-square test for goodness of fit and write its conclusion in context of the problem

Is it Equitable?

During public health crises, governments often aim to distribute resources and aid to citizens equitably. However, in practice, this may not always be the case. We will explore some mock data about vaccine distribution in New York during a pandemic.

Imagine a vaccine for a pandemic is produced, but there is a limited supply. Although the government promises that the vaccine will be distributed equitably, New Yorkers wonder whether the government is preferentially distributing it to wealthy individuals.

The State of New York claims that each county receives a number of vaccines that is proportional to its population size.

An independent inspector is granted access to obtain a random sample of vaccine box shipping labels in a warehouse shipping to only three New York counties: the Bronx, Queens, and Westchester. The median income is highest in Westchester County, followed by Queens, and finally the Bronx. Below are the populations of all three counties (as of 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau).

The independent inspector collects a random sample of 500 shipping labels for vaccine boxes being distributed by the warehouse (all boxes have an equal number of vaccine doses). The independent inspector would like to test if there’s convincing evidence against the claim that vaccine shipments are proportional to each county’s population size using a chi-square test for goodness of fit.