Greenburgh Insider: Percentages -those over 18 who have been vaccinated by neighborhoods.

 

#VAXUPWESTCHESTER AIMS TO BOOST VACCINATION RATES IN REGION - County data reveals wide gaps in vaccination coverage for eligible adults.

Ardsley (63.5), Dobbs Ferry (51.2), Elmsford (35), Hartsdale (51.6), Hastings (57.9), Irvington (62), Tarrytown (44.6), and White Plains zips 10603 39.6) and 10607 (46.2). The Scarsdale 10583 zip code has a 59.9 participation rate--those 18 or over as of April 30th

 

GREENBURGH, NY__ Recently released Westchester county data on vaccination rates for eligible adults (age 18+) shows wide disparities between often adjacent communities - a gap the Town of Greenburgh’s new initiative, #VaxUpWestchester, hopes to bridge.

 

“The county’s data really highlights what communities we need to focus on and that there’s so much more work to do,” says #VaxUpWestchester’s Co-Chair Kenny Herzog.  Link to the site can be found here: VaxUpWestchester was started by Greenburgh as a follow up to our successful Covid Angels initiative.

https://wcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/0a451c6b69dc460b9f869728682383d9

Only 35 percent of Elmsford residents over the age of 18 have been vaccinated, versus 51.6 percent in nearby Hartsdale. 

Here in Greenburgh, the county lists vaccination percentages for Ardsley (63.5), Dobbs Ferry (51.2), Elmsford (35), Hartsdale (51.6), Hastings (57.9), Irvington (62), Tarrytown (44.6), and White Plains zips 10603 39.6) and 10607 (46.2). The Scarsdale 10583 zip code has a 59.9 participation rate.

 

The #VaxUpWestchester campaign, gaining momentum after an organizing meeting Monday night with about 45 volunteers via Zoom, plans to tackle the more invisible issues of vaccine hesitancy or lack of access in creative and multi-faceted ways. As Greenburgh did with the Covid Angels appointment-making mission, which will continue for anyone who needs help connecting with a nearby vaccination location, “we are assembling a small army of talented, caring individuals who want to keep our communities safe, and that includes everyone in them,” says group co-chair and Assistant to the Supervisor, Krista Madsen.

 

#VaxUpWestchester will target communities in the Greater Greenburgh/Lower Westchester area with coordinated outreach of bilingual flyers, vaccination assistance at key sites, social media saturation, and youth employed by the Theodore D. Young Community Center to conduct citizen surveys exploring local hesitancy via grant funding from UJA-Federation of New York and the Westchester Community Foundation - A Division of the New York Community Trust.

 

“We want to think out of the box to get doses into the arms of every citizen who may lack access or good information. Your ideas and your time and talents are welcome in this grassroots effort,” says Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. “I’m proud of what our many dedicated volunteers have done so far in this fight against Covid-19; we’re not done yet!”  Feiner said that the county site is fantastic  and will motivate us to work harder to encourage people in areas that aren't taking the vaccine to get vaccinated.

 

For more info, materials, or to join the effort, visit vaxupwestchester.org or email vaxupwestchester@gmail.com.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor