Let's Get Vaccinated. The first coronavirus vaccination shots were given in the American mass vaccination campaign on Monday, opening a new chapter in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more people in the United States — over 300,000 — than in any other country and has taken a particularly devastating toll on people of color. And a recent report said 27.8% of nursing home workers are Black, while among home health aides, 29.7% are Black and 17.5% are Latino.
It’s expected that those on the frontlines of the COVID fight— health care workers, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions — will be at the front of the line for a vaccine. But if the goal is to prioritize the hardest hit communities, then that also means people of color. Public health experts have called for communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic to be prioritized for vaccination, including Black, Latino, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Native American people who have suffered higher rates of illness and death. As New Yorkers have experienced firsthand this year, historic disinvestment in communities of color has resulted in “grossly unequal health outcomes for all kinds of disease.”
- Stay safe. While it might seem like the end is in sight, there’s still a long way to go. Keep masked, stay home, watch a lot of TV — whatever works!
- Show love to your fellow New Yorkers. New Yorkers have been through a lot this year, and they’ve also shown they know how to take care of one another. So many have lost loved ones and livelihoods, and we need to give each other extra kindness and love.
- Take care of #1. Whether deciding not to travel or spend time with family this year is a huge sigh of relief, or really bums you out, the holidays can be a stressful time. Take the time and intentionally focus on how to cope.
