Brooklyn Still Lags Behind In Vaccine Rates, Data Shows

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn is still lagging in coronavirus vaccine rates three months into distribution of the shot, data shows.

The borough was tied with the Bronx on Friday for the lowest vaccination of New York City's five boroughs, with just 18 percent of its residents having received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the city's data.

The borough had been in last place with a 17 percent vaccine rate earlier in the week.

The low rates are a behind the city's overall 21-percent average and nearly 10 points behind the highest vaccine rate in Manhattan. Manhattan was the first to surpass the 25-percent threshold this week, and 27 percent of the borough's residents having received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Friday.

The numbers show that the city is still struggling to fulfill its goal of reaching neighborhoods hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic with its vaccine distribution.

Low vaccine rates have consistently been found in those hard-hit areas since the city began releasing geographic data last month.

The highest vaccination rates continue to be in wealthy Manhattan ZIP codes and other majority-white neighborhoods, including two Upper East Side ZIP codes where 26 percent of residents were fully vaccinated as of Friday.

Manhattan has also achieved its high rates despite being the only borough without a mass-vaccination site that serves its residents exclusively.

In Brooklyn, city, state and federal officials have tried to address the disparity by setting up mass vaccination sites for areas hardest hit by the virus.

Citywide, 21 percent of New Yorkers had gotten at least one shot by Friday.

Asian and white New Yorkers have gotten vaccinated at the highest rate — 20 percent — followed by 11 percent for Latino residents and 10 percent for Black New Yorkers.