While hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are waiting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a surprising resident got the coveted jab: a famous fitness trainer and SoulCycle instructor.
“VACCINE DAY! Step one of the Modern magic !! An hour’s drive from STATEN ISLAND is worth every minute! It takes a village, ”Stacey Griffith, a 52-year-old fitness guru who appeared in The New York Times, proudly announced in a post already deleted from Instagram.
But moments after Griffith revealed to her 64,200 followers that she was among the approximately 850,000 New York City residents who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, she was met with a furious reaction.
“My wife is a stage 4 cancer patient who has to deal with the fear and risk of going to an immunosuppressed cancer hospital during COVID weekly to receive the treatment that keeps her alive. She is at least 2-3 months out of being eligible for a vaccine, ”commented Gabrielle Novacek, a consultant from Chicago.
“As the caregiver on whom she depends to provide support, I am at least 4-5 months away. But yes, let’s celebrate that we are making the world safe for face-to-face spinning classes amid a global pandemic. What remains of any respect I had for Soul and the leaders it celebrates is over, ”she added.
Griffith, who earns $ 800 per class, according to a recent Vox story, said in a text message that her role as an “educator” made her eligible for the coveted COVID-19 vaccination.
“Having me vaccinated can stop the short spread within groups!” Griffith told The Daily Beast. “I function as a common point for many people who overlap. In my profession as a health and wellness teacher, it is my daily priority to keep my community and its respiratory systems operating at full capacity so that they can fight this virus if they become infected with it. I can only teach them if I am also healthy. “
Griffith added that she “had the same opportunity that everyone has when going online and filling out a questionnaire” and insisted that she “did no favors, did not pay money to anyone”.
“All teachers can apply for the vaccine. My post today was to show my confidence in the system, in our government, and I hope that everyone can at least feel more comfortable knowing that I went through the process! ”She added.
Asked whether all SoulCycle instructors would be eligible for the vaccine, she replied, “Absolutely not.”
According to the New York City Department of Health, the city has entered phase 1B of the vaccine launch, making health care workers, residents over 65, grocery workers and specific types of teachers eligible for vaccines. Although eligible teachers include those who teach K-12, face-to-face college instructors and group childcare providers – the list does not include manic fitness teachers.
“Generally speaking, it is difficult for us to comment on individuals due to confidentiality,” a New York City Department of Health spokesman told The Daily Beast when asked about the Griffith injection on Friday. “I’ll see what I can find out if there’s anything I can say.”
The fact that Griffith was vaccinated in New York, while thousands of teachers, social workers and residents with pre-existing illnesses were unable to get an appointment, further illustrates the difficult expansion in the Empire State.
Thousands of New York City teachers who are eligible for the vaccine reported that their appointments were canceled due to supply and scheduling problems. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, told the New York Post this week, that some 20,000 teachers have requested appointments through the union – and that another 10,000 have gone through their health care providers. But only a quarter of those 30,000 teachers had received any of the vaccines.
One problem, according to Mulgrew, is that the city has been canceling mass consultations due to the lack of vaccination and scheduling problems. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed on Wednesday that shipments of Moderna’s vaccine have been delayed and that he has asked the federal government for increases in remittances and the ability to use second doses in the first vaccines.
“We had to reschedule 23,000 New Yorkers and tell them that they won’t be able to get that appointment due to a lack of supplies,” said de Blasio.
While this slow deployment could mean that many eligible people are stuck on waiting lists, it hasn’t exactly closed the door on young, healthy Americans – many of whom have used their connections and considerable financial resources to cut the queue and justify that.
The New York Mayor’s office and SoulCycle did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
For his part, Griffith said he deleted his post after the vitriol became unbearable.
“I hate controversy,” she told The Daily Beast, adding, “I’m saddened that people are so gloomy and petty that I’m just trying to do the right thing and stay safe.”