63% of NYC residents caught COVID, half not boosted: poll

Only half of New York City residents have received a COVID-19 booster shot even as nearly two-thirds reported catching the virus since the outbreak first arrived in the Big Apple in 2020, a new health survey released Tuesday reveals.

The rate of full vaccine and booster coverage across the five boroughs ranged from a high of 60% in Manhattan to a low of 34% in the Bronx, according to the poll of 2,500 adults conducted by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health by Emerson College.

The survey found that 86% of residents received at least one COVID jab and 60% of parents had their kids vaccinated.

The poll’s findings reveal the heavy toll COVID-19 has taken on New Yorkers, the initial epicenter of America’s contagious viral outbreak. More than 73,000 residents have died from the virus in New York State.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents — 63% — said they had been stricken with COVID-19, the poll found.

There was a big disparity by borough in the number of New Yorkers who were sick with COVID-19 who received approved medical treatments — ranging from 30% in Manhattan to only 6% in Staten Island and 12% in The Bronx. 

There’s another troubling new finding: 22% of people said they or a family member had suffered from “long COVID,” lingering illnesses or symptoms lasting weeks or months after recovery.

“Sixty-three percent reporting having COVID-19 is a big number,” said Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, dean of CUNY’s School of Public Health and co-leader of the Pandemic Response Institute.

But he said that figure has to be put in context, noting some residents may have only had mild symptoms.

El-Mohandes said he was surprised that only 48% of city adults received their COVID-19 booster shots.

“The numbers are still lagging. I would have expected the booster rate to be higher,” he said.

“These survey findings help us to examine the blind spots within our communities regarding the continued risks of COVID-19 exposure and need for vigilance in protection. It is important to disseminate more information about eligibility for treatment to all health care workers across the city and to ensure accessibility regardless of geographical location.”

He said the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and state and city officials to loosen requirements for COVID-19 quarantining and isolation means “more responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of individuals to make better choices for themselves and their families,” adding, “we as public health advocates must double down on education about testing, prevention and treatment for those at high risk.”

El-Mohandes said he was most concerned about the disparities by borough.

For example, 69% of parents in Manhattan have had a child vaccinated, compared to 55% in The Bronx.

Queens respondents were most likely to consider both vaccination and treatment (80%) as
preferred interventions, while Staten Island residents were least likely to accept both (66%).

Two-thirds of Manhattanites said they would take a booster every six months if recommended by health authorities as compared to Staten Island at 41%.

Regarding vaccine mandates across the board, Manhattanites were the most likely to
support restrictions and Staten Islanders the least.

Asked about employer vaccine mandates, 73% of Manhattan residents expressed support compared to only 55% of Staten Island respondents.

Should school children be required to get vaccinated? About 70% of Manhattanites said yes while 51% of Staten Islanders gave a thumbs down.

Queens residents were most supportive of proof of vaccination to participate in indoor activities, 69%, compared to only 53% of Staten Islanders.

Similarly, only 61% of Staten Islanders trust the science behind COVID-19 vaccines, nearly 20 points lower than 78% of Manhattanites who did so.

The poll found that many New Yorkers have moved on from COVID-19, with the pandemic largely in the rearview mirror.

About  30% across all boroughs are paying less attention to COVID-19 messaging now compared with one year ago, the survey found.

The CUNY SPH COVID-19 survey queried 2,500 city adults from June 29-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.