Yankees Stadium Steps Up to Expand COVID Vaccination Among Black Community [Correspondent Diary]

Slow Vaccination Expansion Despite Large-Scale Vaccine Procurement and Mega Vaccination Sites
Anti-Vaccine Protests Erupt in LA
Concerns Over Relatively Low Vaccination Rates Among Black and Latinx Residents

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Major professional baseball stadiums in the United States are consecutively being transformed into COVID-19 vaccination centers.

Although this decision prioritizes public health over baseball, there are still uncertainties about whether vaccinations will be properly administered.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on the 29th (local time) that the New York Yankees stadium located in the Bronx area of New York City and the New York Mets stadium in Queens would be operated as COVID-19 vaccination sites.

Earlier, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had indefinitely postponed the plan to operate the two stadiums as vaccination centers on the 25th. This was due to the judgment that operating large-scale vaccination sites was impossible amid delays in vaccine supply. Major vaccination centers in New York City also suspended operations as vaccine supply from manufacturer Moderna was halted.

The Yankees stated in a press release, "We are honored to open the stadium to provide vaccines to nearby residents."

Many major professional baseball stadiums across the U.S. are being utilized as vaccination centers. Stadiums in Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, and Boston have agreed to accept vaccination applicants rather than baseball fans.

The U.S. has prepared large-scale vaccination sites to accelerate the vaccination pace, but the situation remains uncertain. According to NBC, all 50 states in the U.S. are experiencing difficulties in vaccine distribution. As of the 31st, New York City has only 53,000 first-dose vaccines remaining.

Tom Kenyon, a former CDC International Health Center official, pointed out in an interview with NBC, "Vaccination is proceeding too slowly, causing disappointment among the public."

The U.S. has ordered 1.2 billion doses of vaccines, enough to vaccinate all citizens and have surplus, but the vaccination rate per capita lags behind Israel, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Bahrain.

Unexpected incidents are also complicating vaccination efforts. The day before, the LA Dodgers stadium was crowded with vehicles of vaccination applicants.

This was due to a sudden protest by individuals claiming COVID-19 is a hoax who gathered at the vaccination site. Thousands of vaccination applicants had to spend unplanned time because of far-right anti-vaccine activists.

Significant racial disparities in vaccination rates have also become a concern for authorities. On the 31st, Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed concern that vaccination rates among Black and Latino residents were significantly lower compared to White residents.

According to New York City data, among the 300,000 first-dose vaccine recipients, 48% were White. Latinos and Asians accounted for 15%, while Blacks made up only 11%. Compared to the city’s population where Latinos represent 29% and Blacks 24%, this indicates that Whites and Asians have been vaccinated more intensively. Especially among residents aged 65 and older, only 9% of the 125,000 vaccinated were Black.

The New York Times reported that in other regions such as New Jersey and Chicago, vaccination rates among Black and Latino residents are also significantly behind those of White and Asian residents.

The use of the Yankees stadium as a vaccination site exclusively for Bronx residents is understood to be based on this background. The COVID-19 test positivity rate in the Bronx, where many Black residents live, is 7.6%, significantly higher than other areas of New York City.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.