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Poll: 42% Of New Yorkers Hesitant To Get COVID Vaccine As Soon As It’s Available; Numbers Much Lower Among Minorities

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Despite dwindling city supplies, officials have launched a program to vaccinate seniors living in Bronx public housing as a new poll finds there is still substantial reluctance in minority communities that needs to be overcome.

The Bronx River Houses was the first stop for a mobile vaccination unit that hopes to reach 15,000 NYCHA seniors over the next eight weeks, CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported Monday.

“I’m happy that I got it. Don’t be afraid. Come and get it,” resident Justa Hernandez said.

“No, it didn’t hurt. Just a little pinch,” Sal Irizarry added.

“Thanks be to God. I worried I would get COVID,” Angel Morocho said. “If the vaccine is available, I recommend to everybody to do that, to take care. It’s very important for everybody to save a life.”

Organizers of the Bronx Rising initiative say “amen” to that.

“A lot of our seniors don’t have Internet or don’t know how to use a computer, so we’re going knocking on doors and asking if seniors want to get vaccinated and bringing them down,” founder Tomas Ramos said.

“This area is one of the hardest hit for COVID-19,” chief nursing officer Josie Miranda said. “We’re talking about a lot of elderly people.”

A new poll by the Association for a Better New York found there is still hesitancy among some residents to get the shot.

In all, 57% of New Yorkers say they will take the vaccine as soon as it is available to them, while 42% are hesitant.

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