A new “vaccine equity” campaign is being launched by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration with the goal of convincing thousands of elderly and disabled New York City citizens to get their updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines this fall and winter.
The South Bronx, Far Rockaway in Queens, and the Brooklyn communities of East New York, Brownsville, Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay, and Brighton Beach will all receive vaccinations as part of an outreach campaign being led by the NYC Community Partnerships for Vaccine Access and Equity (CompPass).
The Fund for Public Health, the fundraising arm of the city’s Health Department, issued a call for proposals to operate in particular zip codes. The six-month initiative will start in September, and $394,500 will be used to hire three community- or faith-based organizations that will work locally to engage elders and persons with disabilities and persuade them to get their vaccinations.
Federal funding provided by the National Council on Aging is also helping to support the initiative to increase vaccination rates.
The Health Department’s proposal states that “selected community and/or faith-based organizations (C/FBOs) will support a fall 2023/winter 2024 vaccination campaign to boost protection and limit the anticipated flu and COVID-19 surge.”
The objective is to boost the proportion of elderly people (OA) and people with disabilities (PLWD) who receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. “Vaccine champions will be wherever possible ethnically, culturally, demographically, and age-appropriate for the target populations,” the proposal continues.
“This promotes messaging credibility and raises community confidence.” The COVID-19 emergency was formally deemed to be over in May. But some in the medical community believe that the coronavirus still poses a serious threat, and in some areas, the number of cases has been increasing.
The city vaccination program follows the state Health Department’s announcement of a double-digit increase in both COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions nationwide.
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