Society

FDA Vaccine Approval, Mandates Persuade New York City Holdouts

In undervaccinated areas, these steps have swayed some to get shots. Now, community groups can play a key role convincing more hard-to-reach people. 

A day after the FDA approved a Covid-19 vaccine, Sharray Gray and her daughter Amina Coleman got vaccinated outside a library in the Bronx at a mobile clinic organized by Bronx Rising Initiative.

Photographer: Amy Yee/Bloomberg
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Throughout the pandemic, Sharray Gray has been vigilant about wearing masks, using hand sanitizer and social distancing, even from her grandchildren. The 46-year-old Bronx resident has underlying health conditions, including asthma and kidney problems. Several of her friends and family members have died of Covid-19. Yet, for months, she declined to get a vaccine.

That changed this week, after the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech SE shot.