As monkeypox is ramping up throughout New York City, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine compared the city’s response to when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.
“It’s so frustrating, Bobby, that we’re seeing a repeat of some of the exact mistakes that we made in some of the early days of COVID, on testing, on vaccination, on treatment, again,” he told Bobby Cuza on “Inside City Hall” Thursday.
Levine emphasized that the city hasn’t received enough vaccinations, which he said the federal government is responsible for.
“We still haven’t come anywhere near vaccinating the full population of people who are at risk, who are eligible,” he said.
The city’s Health Department released data earlier Thursday that revealed the inequities with the monkeypox vaccination among Black and outerborough New Yorkers.
“That’s not acceptable,” Levine said. “We have to do much more to reach marginalized communities to take the vaccination, on the ground, in the neighborhoods that are underserved to close that equality gap.”
COVID-19 and monkeypox aren’t the only outbreaks city residents are dealing with. Poliovirus has been detected in wastewater sampled from parts of the city.
“I think New Yorkers are just exhausted by this,” Levine said, mentioning that there are about six discreet cases in the city’s water supply.
He emphasized that there 14% of children in the city are unvaccinated for polio, which he said, “represents years of anti vaccine rhetoric.”
“It is urgent that we get them vaccinated,” Levine continued. He said he thinks the city should ensure that every pediatrician knows which of their patients are vaccinated for polio.
With the August primary election days away, Levine spoke about his endorsement for Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, who’s running in the crowded 12th Congressional District.
“I think she’d make an outstanding Congress member,” he said. “I think she’s closing strong and proud to have endorsed her.”
When asked about one of Rivera’s opponents, Dan Goldman, he said the recent New York Times endorsement is a big boost in any race but former President Donald Trump’s move to endorse him was a “chaos move.”
“At the end of the day, the voters will decide and I think Carlina’s run an outstanding race and she’s closing strong,” Levine said.