NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Amid the national and city-wide delta variant surge hitting the unvaccinated hard, young Black New Yorkers remain some of the most hesitant to get vaccinated.
City data, provided by The New York Times, shows only 28% of Black New Yorkers ages 18 to 44 years are fully vaccinated as compared to 48% of Latino and 52% white New Yorkers.
Dozens of the young Black New Yorkers that the Times spoke with said their resistance toward the vaccine was "rooted" in their fear of trusting the government with their health during "these uncertain times."
Jayson Clemons, 41, related his fear of getting vaccinated to Black discrimination and would rather wear a mask and use hand sanitizer rather than trust the government's "push" to vaccinate.
"I'm supposed to worry about getting sick when I go outside, versus getting killed by a cop or something like that?" Clemons asked.
Clemons, a Queens construction site safety manager, said he was also skeptical of taking the vaccine because of how quickly it was introduced.
"They came out with one so fast for Covid, and now they want to pay you to take it," he added. "It seems fishy."
Others reportedly said that because the virus struck Black neighborhoods disproportionately during last year's first wave, many believed they have "survived the worst" and that health authorities "have failed to help them."
The Times reports more than a third of Black and Hispanic residents may have been infected in that initial wave — more than double the infection rate of white New Yorkers.
However, their reporting notes many would get vaccinated if forced to.
"If it's going to be mandatory to work, I'll have no choice," said Kaleshia Sostre, 27, of Brooklyn.
Justin Mercado, 21, said Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement that indoor dining would require proof vaccination would likely lead the college student to get vaccinated.
"I want to go on a date sometime and enjoy life as much as I can before this strain shuts us back down," Mercado told the paper.
The city has pushed to vaccinate young New Yorkers, including a $100 reward for first doses, ahead of the start of school and asking employers to pressure their employees to get vaccinated.
Dr. Torian Easterling, the chief equity officer of the New York City Health Department, said the city is thinking of more ways to spurn vaccine rates.
"We're not done yet," he said. "We're continuing to announce more interventions and more strategies to support New Yorkers getting vaccinated."
NYC Health data shows 32% of Black New Yorkers, of all ages, are fully vaccinated rather than 46% of White residents. 38% of New Yorkers, of all ages, are still not vaccinated.
