COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Task Force

New York's Vaccine Equity Task Force was launched on December 21, 2020. It is chaired by Acting Commissioner of the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Rossana Rosado, Attorney General Letitia James, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, and Healthfirst President & CEO Pat Wang. 

The NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Task Force is a dynamic group of community, policy and health experts who help to reduce barriers to vaccination and ensure an equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine. 

The Task Force is made up of persons with expertise in addressing health equity for the purpose of reducing disparities among communities of color related to COVID-19 vaccination promotion, distribution, engagement and administration.

1. Build trust and acknowledge the pervasive structural racism that has contributed to existing health and social disparities.
2. Promote health literacy and language access for all to benefit in order to ensure diversity and fairness in accessibility.
3. Implement policy to ensure protections of privacy and confidentiality.
4. Identify accessible and welcoming community locations across many diverse communities to conduct outreach.
5. Engage with community-based partners that have experience and a trusted presence within all priority communities.
6. Create public service announcements that are regionally placed, culturally responsive and representative of BIPOC.
7. Develop community engagement resources for all priority communities in a fair and diverse manner.

• Frederick Shack, CEO, Urban Pathways, Inc.
• Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President, SUNY Albany
• Murad Awawdeh, Interim Co-Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition
• Dr. Henry Chen, President, SOMOS Community Care
• Phyllis Jackson, Founder and Executive Director, Interdenominational Health Ministry Coalition; Community Wellness Project Manager; Common Ground Health
• Guillermo Chacón, President, Latino Commission on AIDS and Founder, Hispanic Health Network
• George Gresham, President, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
• Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Special Advisor for Policy and Community Affairs, NYS Homes and Community Renewal
• Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation
• Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church
• Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director, Asian American Federation
• Dr. Hazel Dukes, President, NAACP New York State Conference
• Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church
• Judith Watson, CEO, Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center
• Dr. Rosa Gil, Founder, President and CEO, Comunilife, Inc.
• Dr. Wayne Riley, President, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Chair, Board of Trustees, New York Academy of Medicine
• Danny Barber, Chair, NYCHA Citywide Council of Presidents; President, Jackson Houses Tenant Association
• Kyle Bragg, President, 32BJ SEIU
• Karim Camara, Executive Director and Deputy Commissioner, Governor's Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services
• Rev. Mark E. Blue, President, Buffalo Chapter NAACP

Use these social media graphics to help promote the fair and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Click on any image below to see the full library of resources. English and Spanish (español) versions are below.

The graphics are also available in: 

• 中文
• kreyòl ayisyen
• 한국어
• русский
• বাংলা

Overview

The Vaccine Equity Task Force has established a series of Fireside Chats on a series of topics to engage community members about access, equity and distribution. Past Fireside Chats have featured clinicians, top public health experts and community leaders, who have answered questions from New Yorkers on the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines. If you're interested in hosting your own Fireside Chat, see instructions below.
 

Host a Fireside Chat

The Vaccine Equity Task Force is open-sourcing the Fireside Chat series, encouraging community organizations throughout New York to host their own conversations with members of their specific community. Please see a toolkit in multiple languages below.

Fireside Chat Toolkit

Toolkit also available in: 

Español | 한국어 번역 | русский язык | 中文翻譯 | বাংলা অনুবাদ | Kreyòl Ayisyen

Archives

Please see the below videos of previously held Fireside Chats:

Session 1: Building Trust
Featuring: Dr. Oni Blackstock, Health Justice; Dr. Althea Maybank, Inaugural Chief Heath Equity Officer, American Medical Association; Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Session 2: Staying Informed: Addressing Community Concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccine
Featuring: Bobby Watts, CEO, National Health Care for the Homeless Council; Jason Starr, Director of Litigation, Human Rights Campaign

Session 3: Making Informed Decisions: Exploring the Historical Context and Science Behind the COVID-19 Vaccine
Featuring: Dr. Wayne Riley, President of SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Dr. Raul Vazquez, Founder of Urban Family Practice & CEO at GBUACO

Session 4: COVID-19 Vaccines: Taking a Closer Look
Featuring: Dr. Alda Osinaga, NYS Dept. of Health, Office of Quality and Patient Safety; Dr. Elizabeth Rausch-Phung, NYS Dept. of Health, Bureau of Immunization; Dr. Charles Gonzalez, Medical Director, NYS Dept. of Health, AIDS Institute

Session 5: Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Skepticism: The Role of Faith Communities
Featuring: Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church; Imam Abdul-Raham Yaki, Senior Imam at the Islamic Center of the Capital District; Dr. Salvador Savino, Senior Pastor, Heavenly Vision Christian Center

Session 6: The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine: A Conversation with Clinicians and Community Members
Featuring: Dr. Randall N. Hyer, Senior Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Moderna; Dr. Jennifer Davila, Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist, Children's Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center; Takesha L. Leonard, EdD, FNP-BC, East Side Medical Director, Jericho Road Community Health Center

Session 7: La vacuna COVID-19: movilizando a la comunidad latina
Presentando: Rossana Rosado, NY Secretaria de estado; Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez, Vicepresidenta senior, Salud comunitaria y poblacional, Northwell Health; Carola Otero Bracco, Directora ejecutiva, Neighbors Link; Dr. Luisa Perez, Directora medica, Godwin Medical PC Member Provider, SOMOS Community Care

Session 8: COVID-19 与疫苗：动员华人社区
 特色: Dr. George Liu, CAIPA; Dr. Henry Chen, SOMOS; Justin Yu, President, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Session 9: COVID-19 Vaccine & Tribal Nations: Building Community Trust
Featuring: Amie Barnes, Executive Director, Dancer's Coalition; Michael Martin, Executive Director, Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties, Inc; Makayla Syas, Shinnecock COVID-19 Response Team; Dr. Brian Thompson, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Upstate Medical University

Session 10: COVID-19 Vaccines & the LGBTQ+ Community: ​Staying Informed
Featuring: Dr. Freddy Molano, Vice President, Infectious Disease and LGBTQ Programs, Community Healthcare Network; Ace Robinson, Director of Strategic Partnerships & The Center to End the Epidemics, NMAC; Tandra LaGrone, Chief Executive Officer, In Our Own Voices

Protect Yourself, Protect Your Family: A #VaccinateNY Women's Health Forum
May 25, 2021 - Co-sponsored by the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Task Force and the New York State Council on Women & Girls