New York City Initial Vaccine Data Show Deep Race Disparity

(Bloomberg) -- New York City broke down its Covid-19 vaccination data by ethnicity for the first time, with the mayor underscoring a “profound problem” with racial inequality.

White residents made up almost half of the people who have received at least one dose, despite consisting of only a third of the population. Latinos, 29% of the city, only accounted for 15% of those vaccinated. The lowest ratio was among Black residents -- even though they make up almost a quarter of the city's population, they only accounted for 11% of those vaccinated.

The percentage of Asians among all vaccinated residents was 15%, similar to their representation in the city.

“Clearly, we do see a profound disparity that needs to be addressed aggressively and creatively,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on a conference call on Sunday. “We've got a profound problem of distrust and hesitancy, particularly in communities of color.”

In response, the city will now prioritize appointments for residents in the “taskforce neighborhoods” -- those with high Covid-19 death and case rates, poverty and health disparities -- and allow essential workers there to book appointments for their eligible family members on-site. Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst are among the six neighborhoods added into the taskforce zone.

Still, the data painted a limited picture so far, as 40% of those who have received at least one dose of vaccines haven't reported race and ethnicity. The data will be updated daily. The vaccination numbers also match inequality trends seen with testing earlier.

“Folks who have been privileged have been able to access the testing in some ways with greater ease,” de Blasio said.

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