A New York authorities study published yesterday found that African-American men are far less likely to be vaccinated against monkeypox than American men from other racial groups. This writes The New York Times.
Health experts and activists now fear that, just like during the corona crisis, the black population will be neglected as a risk group.
African American men make up 31 percent of the population at risk, but only 12 percent of vaccinations went to African American men. This contrasts sharply with the white American men. They make up 45 percent of the population at risk, but 46 percent of the vaccinations went to them.
According to health experts and activists, vaccination policies are designed in such a way that the vaccinations mainly reach the white and affluent population, with the black and poorer people less likely to be vaccinated. According to the experts, this also happened during the corona crisis.
It also appears that a vaccination clinic in the black Harlem neighborhood of New York attracted mainly white clients from nearby neighborhoods. As a result, the mainly black residents of the neighborhood had almost no opportunity to get a vaccination. Those who did get an appointment say they received too little information about the possible risks of the virus and how to protect themselves.
New York’s health commissioner tells The New York Times that black men are underrepresented in vaccination policy. The city will have to do more work to offer the black population equal opportunities.