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City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; Fund for Public Health in New York; Community Health Care Association of New York State

Promoting Equitable COVID-19 Vaccination

In 2021, NYHealth awarded grants to the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; the Fund for Public Health in New York; and the Community Health Care Association of New York State to promote equitable distribution and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

Grantee Name

City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; Fund for Public Health in New York; Community Health Care Association of New York State

Funding Area

Special Projects Fund

Publication Date

October 2024

Grant Amount

$75,000 City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; $125,000 Fund for Public Health in New York; $180,000 Community Health Care Association of New York State

Grant Date:

2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the persistent racial and ethnic health inequities that have plagued us for too long. Death rates and hospitalization rates were higher—often double— among Black and Hispanic New Yorkers than among their white counterparts. And as COVID-19 vaccines became available, uptake was lower among New Yorkers of color for a number of reasons. At the onset of the vaccine rollout when supply was more limited, inequitable and/or uneven distribution resulted in barriers to access in low-income and communities of color, including difficulty getting an appointment and too few convenient locations and hours.

In response, NYHealth and a number of other funders invested in a complementary set of projects to address vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccine equity in New York State. Efforts complemented broad federal, State, and local government-funded efforts to address access barriers and improve equitable distribution of vaccine supply.

City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) developed data-driven messages about COVID-19 vaccination and worked with community-based organizations to provide tools and training to address vaccine literacy and hesitancy. They worked in nine counties in New York City and the surrounding area.
Fund for Public Health in New York (FPHNY) established partnerships between community- and faith-based organizations and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among communities of color disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Their efforts focused on 45 ZIP codes that the New York City Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) identified as the City’s highest-need neighborhoods.
Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) supported 19 community health centers to reach vaccine-hesitant patients across the State with accurate information and vaccine administration, in partnership with community-based organizations.

Read about the grant outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for the future.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

CUNY SPH:

Worked with 200 community-based organizations across 9 counties in and around New York City to conduct regular surveys of New Yorkers’ perceptions of vaccinations.
Analyzed and shared the results in a public dashboard to provide a clearer picture of vaccine hesitancy at the county level and inform community-based organizations’ key messages, educational materials, and outreach strategies.
Made available shareable slide decks, videos, social media posts, and graphics, and discussion facilitation guides in multiple languages for community-based organizations to use and adapt in their education and outreach. The website hosting these materials and the data dashboard have received more than 6,700 visits.
Published monthly newsletters featuring the latest research and data, funding opportunities, case studies, and vaccine information.

FPHNY:

Worked with more than 100 community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, health centers, and Neighborhood Health Action Centers in marginalized communities (known as TRIE ZIP Codes) throughout New York City.
Held more than 23,000 vaccine outreach events in these neighborhoods, engaging more than 1 million residents.
Closed substantial gaps in COVID vaccination rates between the targeted neighborhoods and surrounding communities.
- At the start of the project, in August 2021, non-TRIE communities had adult vaccination rates 9 times higher than TRIE ZIP codes. By January 2022, those rates were virtually identical.
- Vaccination rates among residents of New York City Housing Authority properties exceeded the citywide average, with 92% of adults having received at least one dose.
- Racial and ethnic disparities persist within the TRIE ZIP codes: only 59% of Black residents have been fully vaccinated, compared with 66% of white residents; 70% of Latino residents, and 94% of Asian residents.
- Vaccination rates also remain low among younger children. Only 45% of children ages 5–12 in the target community are fully vaccinated, compared with 53% of non-TRIE communities. (Statewide, 40% of children ages 5–11 are fully vaccinated.)

FPHNY shared key outcomes and related resources in a 2023 COVID-19 Vaccine Equity and Engagement Update.

CHCANYS:

Awarded subgrants to 19 community health centers across the State to reach and engage vaccine hesitant community members.
These health centers administered nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among those who got their first of 2 shots at a health center, 87% completed the series.
Closed racial and ethnic gaps in vaccine completion among Black and Hispanic patients. Black and Hispanic patients make up about 22% and 33% of the health centers’ total patient population, respectively, but account for 27% and 44%, respectively, of those completing the two-dose vaccine series.