We are, the network of community clinics in New York that operates in different Hispanic neighborhoods of the city, is ready to vaccinate about 50,000 people a day, but they still have no idea when they will receive the vaccines against COVID-19.
“The vaccines are to be distributed, to be used, not to be stored,” says Dr. Ramón Tallaj of Somos community Care.
Tallaj hopes that this week the medical personnel of its clinics and other employees in the health centers will be vaccinated.
“We have to get closer to the population, we cannot wait much longer. We have to start giving this vaccine massively to our people, in the amount that arrives, immediately,” Tallaj details.
According to the most recent data on Washington Heights and Inwood, at least 506 residents have died from the coronavirus.
To speed up the campaign, the city government is also recruiting community pharmacies.
According to Steve Moore, from the New York State Pharmacy Society, in the coming weeks they will already be vaccinating people in the first group; that is, health and essential employees such as firefighters and policemen.
He estimates it will take 3-4 months for the general public to arrive and hopes that the government will approve vaccines from other laboratories.
“And the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have received federal approval but the real challenge will be what will happen with the next group of vaccines, and if they work and can they help us meet the demand we have,” says Moore.
Although, for now, there is no exact date of distribution to the general public, it is clear that it will take an effort from all medical personnel in neighborhoods.
In addition to pharmacies and community centers, the vaccine could be administered in dental offices.
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