The site at the Armory Track & Field Center in Washington Heights was launched on January 14 by New York Presbyterian Hospital and New York Government Andrew Cuomo. Vaccination was initially offered to people 65 and older living in New York State.
Lawmakers representing Washington Heights and a doctor who manned the premises last week said the first spate of vaccinations was for many White New Yorkers over the age of 65 who traveled to the armory of other parts of the city and state.
“The more I learn about this, the angrier I become,” de Blasio said during a virtual press briefing. ‘Somehow, instead of focusing on the Latino community of Washington Heights, a place that hit Covid really hard, the approach was somehow conducive to people from outside the community who had to be vaccinated, but not people living there in Washington Heights. Completely backwards. ‘
‘New Yorkers of color’ would get shots
The issue on the Washington Heights website is a striking example of the inequality in access to vaccines across the country.
New York Presbyterian told CNN in an email on Friday that in the past two days, more than 80% of the people vaccinated were community residents.
“An ongoing initiative is aimed at reaching North Manhattan residents and getting them registered for appointments,” the hospital said in a statement Wednesday. “This process is being undertaken in partnership with more than 40 community-based and faith-based organizations and other partners, and is aimed at providing access, overcoming hesitation and addressing persistent inequalities.”
According to the hospital, more than 25,000 people have been vaccinated since its opening. New York Presbyterian did not receive a racial breakdown of the vaccine.
‘It’s Like’ The Hunger Games ”
New York City Councilman Mark Levine told CNN that the initial registration process for the Armory website required several steps for registration and selection and did not accommodate Washington Heights residents who do not speak English and are not technically proficient.
In Washington Heights / Inwood, 37% of residents have ‘limited English proficiency’, according to the 2018 NYC Health report.
“It’s like ‘The Hunger Games,'” Levine said. “People who do not have a computer, do not have a good internet, who are not comfortable with technology, may have limited English language skills, and that does not come through. And that’s reflected in who’s appearing on these sites. “
Dr Susana Bejar of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center said she saw inequality in Washington Heights firsthand when she volunteered at the Armory on Jan. 23.
Bejar said of the 2,400 people who received the vaccine that day, most were not from the local community. “Simply put, I’ve never seen so many white people in Washington Heights,” Bejar tweeted Sunday.
Bejar said the site should prioritize Washington Heights residents by allowing and standing appointments on the same day, to discuss vaccinations for those living in the community, to provide assistance to people struggling to sign up for the smartphone app and ensure residents have time. to plan their appointments.
“It’s hard to do both speed and equity,” Bejar told CNN. “When the vaccines are distributed primarily via a smartphone application in English to those who first refurbish the application, the structural inequalities will repeat themselves unless the medical community makes a conscious and consistent effort to address them.”
The need for community partnerships
Differences in who gets the Covid-19 vaccine are a nationwide problem.
A 14-state CNN analysis found that vaccine coverage was on average twice as high as among black and Latino people.
The analysis found that more than 4% of the white population received an average of a Covid-19 vaccine, about 2.3 times higher than the black population (1.9% covered) and 2.6 times higher than the Spanish population (1.8% covered).
De Blasio said vaccine providers should work with community groups, local health care providers, clergy and trusted community leaders to ensure that colored people have fair access.
“We are nowhere near the supply we need,” De Blasio said at Friday’s press conference.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) said his office had received several complaints about the local community being left out of the vaccinations outside the Armory. Espaillat said he believes it oversees and that partnerships with local churches and senior centers will be critical to vaccination efforts in Washington Heights.
“From day one, I was concerned about the distribution of vaccines that would not allow rich people to go in and push our people out so they could jump first,” Espaillat said. “I think it’s okay now, but we’ll be monitoring it for the next few days.”
Community groups in Washington Heights say they need to get involved in all dissemination efforts if health care leaders want to reach people of color.
Jon-Paul Dyson, program director of Community League of the Heights, or CLOTH, said many residents do not have access to wifi or email, so they rely on word of mouth, mail in the mail or their social service providers for information to get .
Dyson said he is working with the health care community to get residents vaccinated.
“Education is the biggest piece that is currently lacking,” Dyson said Thursday. “The places we have to go, the transportation for our seniors to get there, all of the above.”
CNN’s Priya Krishnakumar and Deidre McPhillips contributed.