New York Opens Vaccines to People Living with HIV
Advocates applaud latest guidelines after state faced pressure to take action
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
Governor Andrew Cuomo
has expanded
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
to include people
living with HIV after advocates
pressured the state to clarify the
underlying conditions defi ned as
“immunocompromised.”
The new guidelines, which include
a wide range of health conditions
under “immunocompromised,”
pave the way for expanded
vaccine access beginning on February
15. This announcement comes
after HIV and LGBTQ advocates
sent a letter to Cuomo on January
26 demanding the state use updated
data to prioritize people living
with HIV in the next round of
vaccines.
Charles King, the CEO of Housing
Works, a community health
center focused on people living
with HIV and experiencing homelessness,
praised the expansion
but warned that the process must
become more equitable.
“Data from the New York State
Department of Health shows that
people with HIV who are diagnosed
with COVID-19 have much higher
rates of hospitalization and mortality
than people without HIV,”
King said in a written statement.
“Expanding the eligibility requirements
will mean nothing, however,
if better attention is not given to
making the vaccine readily accessible
to those who face other barriers,
including those who are unstably
housed, living with mental
illness, or who lack the technology
and time resources currently required
After criticism from HIV and LGBTQ advocates, Governor Andrew Cuomo has expanded vaccine eligibility
to include people living with HIV.
Housing Works CEO Charles King is emphasizing the importance of equitable vaccine distribution.
to fi nd and schedule an appointment.”
Relatedly, a CDC report released
this month noted that sexual minorities
are more likely to have underlying
health conditions tied to
REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY
DONNA ACETO
severe COVID-19 illness.
Harlem United, which provides
clients with health, housing, and
other services, views the change
an appropriate step toward broadening
vaccine access.
HEALTH
“Governor Cuomo’s decision to
prioritize access to the COVID-19
vaccination for the most vulnerable
among us, those living with comorbidities
such as HIV and other
immunocompromising conditions,
is exactly the approach we need in
New York City,” Jacqui Kilmer, the
CEO of Harlem United, said in a
written statement.
Doug Wirth, president and CEO
of Amida Care, a non-profi t community
health plan serving LGBTQ
clients and people living with
HIV, credits this change to the new
research backing this issue.
“We commend Governor Cuomo
and express deep appreciation to
the NYSDOH AIDS Institute’s leadership
for their expedited research
that led to action in New York State
by including people living with HIV
in expedited vaccine access,” Wirth
said in a written statement. “This is
yet another example of New York’s
leadership in ending the HIV/AIDS
epidemic while also addressing a
pandemic.”
Other advocates touted this decision
as a method of protecting
more people against COVID-19.
“We are thrilled to see continued
expanded eligibility across the
state to include people living with
HIV,” Peter Meacher, the chief medical
offi cer at Callen-Lorde, an LGBTQ
health clinic, said in a written
statement.”Over 1/4 of our patients
are living with HIV, and many have
been excluded up until now. With
these expanded guidelines, our attention
is now shifting to advocate
for funding and fi ghting revenue
cuts so that we can administer the
vaccine as broadly as we can.”
➤ STICKERS, from p.5
City councilmember Mark
Levine, who represents District 7
in Hamilton Heights, blasted the
labels as “disgusting” in a tweet.
In a response provided to Gay City
News, he denounced all forms of
transphobic violence in the neighborhood.
“These stickers are a deliberate
and dangerous attempt to target
members of our community,”
Levine told Gay City News in a
written statement. “Make no mistake
— rhetoric like this can all
too easily escalate to violence. Our
community rejects this hatred in
the strongest possible terms. And
we say very clearly: transwomen
are women.”
While it is still unclear how the
offi ce plans to respond to the incident,
the city’s sanitation code
notes that it is illegal to post stickers
on public spaces — and a onetime
offense carries a fi ne of up to
$200. Chartrand said he wants
these individuals to be held accountable
for their actions.
“I want to see change, and I
want to see something that makes
it explicit that this type of behavior
isn’t allowed,” Chartrand said.
“That this is hate speech and inciting
hate.”
Since posting the video online,
Chartrand has been a target
of social media trolls known
as TERFs. He is still processing
the incident and hopes others are
not forced to view bigotry while
simply taking care of their daily
needs.
“It was traumatizing,” he said.
“No one should walk and see hatred
toward their own community.
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