Posted on February 5, 2021

Authorities Seek to Boost Trust, Low COVID Vaccination Rates Among Black New Yorkers

Barbara Goldberg, Reuters, January 31, 2021

Black New Yorkers’ skepticism about vaccines developed at record speed to fight COVID-19 means they lag behind other racial groups in inoculations to fight the pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States, officials said on 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 {snip}

{snip}

While Blacks made up 24% of New York City’s population, according to 2019 data, they have so far sought and received only 11% of coronavirus vaccinations, he said. By comparison, whites made up 32% of the city’s population, yet received 48% of vaccinations, he said.

{snip}

Blacks are 17% of hospital staff in New York, yet only 10% of those who agreed to hospital vaccinations, the governor said. In comparison, Asians are 11% of hospital staff and accounted for 16% of the workers who agreed to hospital vaccinations.

{snip}