Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan publicly receive their booster shots to encourage families to get vaccinated.
The injections were administered by the medical director of the SOMOS foundation.
“What I found talking here with the doctors who treat the city day after day, I find people dedicated to helping a city that sometimes has no one else.”
According to recent data, less than 2% of African American children and 3% of Latino children under the age of 5 have received a single dose of the vaccine.
This has raised public concern when children return to class.
From Somos they assure that there is still work to be done among younger New Yorkers: the stark contrast in vaccination rates within the same family has intensified vulnerabilities in poorer communities in New York City. Here is a brief summary of their vaccination rates (at least one dose) broken down by age:
– 5-12 years: African Americans 44%, Latin Americans 55%
– 13-17 years: African Americans 73%, Latin Americans 95%
– 18-44 years: African Americans 72%, Latin Americans 99%
– 45-64 years: African Americans 77%, Latin Americans 97%
The vaccination disparity among younger New Yorkers is causing public concern as children return to nurseries and classrooms and return home to more vulnerable and high-risk family members.
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