News / Politics

Black New Yorkers receiving COVID vaccines far lower than whites, mayor acknowledges

Monday, 01 February 2021 8:02 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 01 February 2021 8:15 AM ]

People wait on line outside of TD Bank, in the Harlem neighborhood, New York City, US, on April 16, 2020. (Photo by Getty Images)

The mayor of New York City has acknowledged that Black and Latino residents are receiving COVID-19 vaccines at far lower rates than other groups, highlighting widespread racial disparity and discrimination in particular against African Americans in the United States.

Bill de Blasio blamed a combination of distrust in the vaccine among minority communities and greater ease of access to the shots for white New Yorkers as Black New Yorkers lag behind other racial groups in inoculations to fight the pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States.

Blacks make up 24% of New York City's population, but they have so far received only 11% of coronavirus vaccinations, Blasio said.

Whites comprise 32% of New York City's population, yet received 48% of vaccinations, Blasio noted.

Data shows the coronavirus pandemic has killed Black and Latino residents at remarkably higher rates not only in New York City, but across the entire country.

New York City, once the epicenter of the US pandemic, will expand outreach to communities hardest hit by the disease, many of them extremely skeptical of vaccines, officials said Sunday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state plans to run an advertising campaign that will seek to boost trust and dispel hesitancy among many Black New Yorkers to get the vaccine.

A similar pattern is seen among Black hospital workers in the state as they are 17% of hospital staff in New York, yet only 10% of those who agreed to hospital vaccinations, Cuomo noted.

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Sweeping US mandatory transportation mask

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered the use of face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation as of Monday as thousands of daily COVID-19 deaths are reported across the country.

The order requires face masks to be worn by all travelers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at transportation hubs like airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports.

In January, President Joe Biden ordered government agencies to “immediately take action” to require masks in airports and on commercial aircraft, trains and all public transportation.

Under Donald Trump, a CDC push to mandate masks in transit was blocked and the agency instead only issued strong recommendations for mask use. Trump rejected efforts by Congress to mandate mask use.