Partly True: Over 50 percent of Black people in New York City have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

By: Nikita Kochhar
November 3 2021

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In New York City, 51 percent of Black residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. A claim on social media states that over 50 percent of Black people in New York City have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 51 percent of Black residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 45 percent are fully vaccinated. Among other races and ethnicities in New York City, 84 percent of Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, 56 percent of white people, 66 percent of Hispanics and Latinos, and 99 percent of Native Americans have had at least one dose. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) report carrying the Latest Data on COVID-19 Vaccinations by Race/Ethnicity that gathered data from the 43 states that report these demographics, 54 percent of Hispanics and Latinos, 52 percent of white people, and 50 percent of Black people have received one dose. Asian-Americans have the highest proportion of vaccination, with 70 percent having at least one dose. The KFF report reads, "White people account for the largest share of people who remain unvaccinated, but, overall, Black and Hispanic people are less likely than their White counterparts to have received a vaccine, leaving them at increased risk. At the same time, the data show that these disparities are narrowing, particularly for Hispanic people, and survey data, including the September 2021 KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey, show that these gaps have closed among adults." We rate this claim as partly true because while the number is not exactly correct, it is close. It lacks context by not including other proportions of people who have been vaccinated in New York City. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.