BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the mass vaccination site at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. This will be the largest vaccination site in the state when it opens on Wednesday.

The site will be able to administer 3,000 doses of the vaccine a day. It will be staffed by both federal and state employees. There will also be special transportation lines opened to make sure people have ample access to the site.

Gov. Cuomo said that there are three challenges when getting people vaccinated.

Supply

The governor said the nation does not have the supply to vaccinate everyone at this time. While the federal government has slightly increased the state’s weekly allotment of vaccines.

Cuomo said that the federal government should have enough doses for every American by the end of July.

Accessibility

The governor also said that one major hurdle is the accessibility of the vaccine. He said COVID exposed the “low tide” of America with racial injustice. The virus affecting minority communities more than white communities. Black communities lost twice as many people and Hispanic communities lost 1.5 times more people than white communities.

The governor said they have to correct that injustice with vaccine distribution. He said the state needs to make sure those communities have the same accessibility as other communities.
Many of the state sites, including the one at Medgar Evers College, will be open to specific communities.

Trust

The final obstacle the governor said is the lack of trust surrounding the vaccine. He said many minority communities do not trust the vaccine because they have been systematically let down by the ‘system’. He said breaking these mentalities using science and expert advice is the way forward.