New York State has just issued its COVID-19 Vaccination Program, a comprehensive plan of action to go into effect once a proven vaccine becomes available for mass distribution. Credit goes to Gov. Cuomo for his continued leadership role during the pandemic and spearheading this effort, which aspires, writes the governor in a foreword, to become “the best vaccination program” in the country.
This document, notes the executive summary,” describes the steps that are being taken and protocols that are being put in place to ensure the safe and efficient distribution and administration of the vaccine to New York residents.” Given many “unknowns,” the Program is “designed to be flexible.” The Program was produced at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It is expected that vaccine distribution and administration approaches will be informed by the federal government upon release of the vaccine to states,” says the executive summary.
An essential function of the Program is to enhance the public’s trust in the process—in September, just over 50 percent of Americans said they would get a vaccine if it were available, compared to 72 percent last May.
It is critically important that the population served by SOMOS, poor Hispanic, and Chinese American communities, have access to the vaccine once available. This population is at greater risk of infection than the general population due to restricted and crowded living conditions and other environmental factors, as well as a higher incidence of pre-existing conditions.
Therefore, it is heartening that one of the “guiding principles” of the Program is “equitable & clinically driven distribution.” Specifically, that means: “New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution approach will be based solely on clinical and equitable standards that prioritize access to persons at higher risk of exposure, illness and/or poor outcome, regardless of other unrelated factors, such as wealth or social status, that might confer unwarranted preferential treatment.”
Another “guiding principle” of the Program is tailor-made for a significant role for the SOMOS network of community doctors and the SOMOS neighborhood publicity apparatus, once the vaccine is available: “partnership, coordination & public outreach.” This reads: “New York State recognizes that coordination with local organizations and community providers is essential to the safe and successful distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The state’s outreach efforts will especially focus on reaching underserved, hard to reach, vulnerable, less accessible and vaccine-hesitant populations, as well as those at highest risk for COVID-19 infection and poor outcomes.” The Program’s outreach focus is on patient populations like our own!
Regarding that outreach, the Program reads: “All public education and community engagement efforts will include dedicated efforts to connect with underserved, hard to reach, vulnerable, and vaccine-hesitant populations, as well as focused outreach approaches to communities at highest risk of COVID-19. New York State will work closely with partners statewide who can assist in ensuring that all public communication is done in a way to ensure that those with health inequities are represented and ensure that access to the vaccine is not a barrier for underserved communities.”
Plus, the Program will feature “close coordination with stakeholders, community leaders, and local organizations to disseminate information on the distribution and administration of the vaccine in NYS. This will include dedicated stakeholder engagement with community-based organizations representatives from community organizations serving underserved, hard-to-reach, vulnerable, and vaccine-hesitant populations to advise on outreach, communication, and engagement strategies.”
There is no doubt that SOMOS can play a significant role in the New York State COVID-19 Program by promoting and offering the vaccine to New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Let us hope a vaccine will be available soon.
