A New York state legislator wants to make sure that undocumented immigrants have access to the covid-19 vaccine like any citizen of the country, and for this she has presented a bill to require the state to bear the cost of immunization.
Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal has expressed concern that plans have been made known to make the vaccine free to all citizens, but nothing has been said about the undocumented or beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in New York.
“The covid-19 vaccine should be available at no cost to all New Yorkers, regardless of citizenship or health care status,” Rosenthal said.
“This legislation will require the state to make the vaccine available to all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status,” the legislator said.
Rosenthal introduced the bill after state governor Andrew Cuomo wrote, along with a coalition of organizations, to the federal Department of Health and Human Resources requesting funding to facilitate the vaccine for low-income communities.
However, Rosenthal’s bill does not say where funding will come from to vaccinate undocumented communities, making legislative screening more difficult.
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