To Ensure Equitable Racial Distribution Of Vaccine, BP Adams And CM Miller Demand Creation Of Racial Data Reporting System

Press release from the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President:

January 11 2021

New York, NY – After a prolonged vaccine rollout, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today joined City Council Member and Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC) Co-Chair Daneek Miller and fellow elected officials in calling on the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to improve their coordination in distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines, and prioritize vaccinations for high-risk individuals and populations, as well as institute a system to track vaccine racial distribution data in real-time to track vaccinations and ensure they’re being distributed on an equitable basis.

The disproportionate number of Black and Brown New Yorkers who died from COVID-19 might have been mitigated had there been more timely reporting of racial demographic data of test positivity rates, death rates, and hospitalizations from the start of the pandemic. City data show that Black and Latino New Yorkers have died from COVID-19 at about twice the rate of white New Yorkers. The pandemic has also had a serious impact on the city’s Asian communities. South Asians have had one of the highest test positivity rates of COVID-19, while the Chinese community has faced one of the highest mortality rates. In the midst of an alarming post-holiday surge, communities of color need prompt data disclosure on the distribution and administration of vaccines to prevent further loss of life. The group called on the City to require that racial data be collected at the time of administering the vaccine.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has, in reality, been a tale of two pandemics, with the virus taking the worst toll on Black and Brown communities. As I have stated previously, inefficiency leads to injustice. Part of the reason for these deeply disparate impacts is that the City and State failed in the early stages to collect real-time data illustrating the severity of what these communities were facing. As we continue to roll out the vaccine, we must learn from these past mistakes and ensure we have real-time tracking mechanisms in place to ensure there is an equitable racial distribution of vaccine dosages. I thank Council Member Miller and our colleagues in government for leading this charge and ensuring that our most vulnerable communities are not left behind as we continue to roll out the vaccine,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

“Communities of color were hit hardest by COVID-19, and as we rebuild and recover it is essential that we receive equitable access to the vaccine. In addition, we must also ensure that the essential and frontline workers who went out each day during the peak of the pandemic to make our lives so seamless receive priority access as well. I thank Borough President Eric Adams for his advocacy and leadership and am pleased to be introducing a resolution on behalf of the most marginalized and severely impacted communities to comprehensively address vaccine distribution, ensuring that both the City and State continue to make good on their promises to support the New Yorkers most in need during this difficult time,” said Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Co-Chair and Council Member I. Daneek Miller.

“It is no secret that COVID-19 has hit Black and Brown communities harder than any other in New York City. The loss of life of essential workers and seniors continues to be devastating to countless families,” said Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Co-Chair and Council Member Adrienne Adams. “Although availability and eligibility will expand on January 11th, the coordination of vaccine distribution is of paramount importance. Families are hurting and afraid. The impact of inoculation delay has the potential to further devastate the most vulnerable as they are potential victims of this deadly virus.”

“The level of urgency in turning the COVID-19 vaccine to vaccinations is the difference between life and death, especially for the communities mostly impacted by this pandemic. We are seeing a rise in COVID-19 infections in the neighborhoods that were at the epicenter of this pandemic. These are Latino, Black, and immigrant communities, our essential workers, and families in multigenerational homes that have suffered the worst of this crisis. We need to protect our neighborhoods and we cannot be left behind. Brooklyn Borough President Adams, my BLAC colleagues and Co-Chair Miller share this concern and I thank them for their leadership and urgency with pushing for a more expeditious vaccine rollout,” said Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Vice-Chair and Council Member Francisco Moya.

“We cannot forget about the low-income, Black, Latino, and immigrant communities who were disproportionally impacted by COVID. Many New Yorkers from these communities suffer from heart disease, asthma, and pre-existing conditions that make them more susceptible to contract the virus,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “Low-income, Black, and Latino communities should be prioritized within the early stages of the vaccine roll-out. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues at the City and State level to ensure we’re prioritizing the most vulnerable and at-risk New Yorkers.”

“Black and Brown New Yorkers have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic because we represent the majority of the frontline and essential workers while encountering racial disparities in health care. Therefore, it is imperative that our City and State are on the same page to protect high-risk populations with access to vaccinations in a timely manner. We must act fast and responsibly to save lives amid the second wave, a new variant of the virus, and the one-year mark fast-approaching,” said Council Member Farah N. Louis.

“I want to thank Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Daneek Miller for their advocacy on the issue of improved COVID-19 vaccination distribution in New York City. Since the onset of this pandemic, New Yorkers from all walks of life have made tremendous sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is only right that with a proven treatment available, the necessary measures are taken to vaccinate our most vulnerable workers, and those who are at-risk in a timely manner. This is a critical juncture for our City to ensure the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, and a system for vaccine distribution that focuses on those who are most impacted by this virus must remain a top priority,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.

“Vaccines save lives, but not when the vaccines sit in freezers. We need to do a better job of getting doses of the COVID-19 vaccines into people’s arms as soon as we have them. I stand with Borough President Adams and my colleagues in the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus calling on the City and State to better coordinate with each other, to expand eligibility to the most vulnerable, and to better track disbursement. This is a matter of life and death,” said Council Member Debi Rose.

Borough President Adams and Council Member Miller also announced the impending introduction of a resolution that mirrors calls they made in a recent letter addressed to the DOH and DOHMH commissioners and signed by a bipartisan group of elected officials from all five boroughs.

This press release was produced by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. The views expressed are the author's own.