Fewer black hospital employees accepting the Covid-19 vaccine than other groups, says Cuomo

Syracuse, NY – Fewer African Americans working in hospitals are accepting the Covid-19 vaccine compared to other races and ethnicities, according to analyzes released by Governor Andrew Cuomo today.

Blacks make up 17% of all hospital staff across the state, he said. And all hospital staff have received the coronavirus vaccine so far, the governor said.

Even so, only 10% of vaccinated hospital staff are black, he said.

“I think it’s the clearest demonstration of hesitation,” he said, “which I understand, but it’s something you have to overcome.”

Cuomo says he believes the analysis of hospital staff – the first racial breakdowns among vaccinees the state has released – gives a clue to the likelihood of others getting the vaccine. These workers, he said, did not have to worry about making an appointment or calling a hotline.

“These are people who are in their workplaces, received the vaccine and said no,” he said.

However, this analysis does not take into account access to the vaccine. Most vaccine appointments are now accessible through online forms. Those who do not have access to the Internet or computer skills have difficulty getting appointments.

Accessibility to these consultations can also affect who received the vaccine when looking at other now eligible people, such as the elderly, firefighters or grocery workers.

Even so, hospital analyzes are supported by recent research. A survey by Siena College in mid-January revealed that about 1 in 4 New Yorkers said they had no plans to receive the vaccine.

Among whites, 72% said they would get the vaccine, while 24% said they would not. Among blacks, only 58% said yes, while 36% said they did not plan to be vaccinated, the survey found.

To counter these views, Cuomo said, the state is also launching an advertising campaign to encourage vaccination, especially among African Americans.

This occurs when the governor works with the NAACP, the Urban League and local ministers across the state to encourage people of color to accept the vaccine.

Workers in Latin, Hispanic and Asian hospitals are more accepting of the vaccine, the data show.

There are almost twice as many black workers in hospitals in New York as Latinos or Hispanics, according to data released by Cuomo today. Even so, Latinos represent about 10% of hospital staff who received the vaccine – the same overall proportion as blacks.

Asians were also more likely to accept the vaccine, hospital data show.

Here are the hospital staff reviews:

• Whites are 70% of hospital workers and make up 63% of those who got the vaccine
• African Americans are 17% of hospital staff and 10% of those who have received the vaccine
• Latinos and Hispanics represent 8% of hospital staff and represent 10% of those who got the vaccine
• Asians are 11% of hospital workers and 16% of those who got the vaccine

About 12% of hospital staff refused to disclose their race or ethnicity, said Cuomo.

Cuomo said the state will release more demographic data about who is being vaccinated later this week. About 1.7 million people in New York received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Onondaga County executive Ryan McMahon said last week that the county would also release vaccine analyzes in the coming days.

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