Harlem Reaches 65 Percent Vaccination Rate As Shots Surge: Data

HARLEM, NY — More and more Harlemites have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine in recent weeks, data shows, as students and teachers returned to school and new mandates took effect in the city.

As of Wednesday, about 65 percent of Harlem residents had gotten at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine, according to a Patch analysis of city data. At the start of June, that number was just 47 percent.

While the rate had been slowly climbing all summer, shots picked up in mid-August. In the week between Sept. 14 and Sept. 22, more than 5,000 Harlem residents got vaccinated — more than any other week since June, the data shows.

The numbers are good news for those who had been concerned about the vaccine rollout in Harlem, which has lagged behind some other neighborhoods. In a nearby Upper East Side ZIP code, for example, 78 percent of people are vaccinated, and other neighborhoods like Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea have vaccinated nearly all residents

In the city, vaccine disparities have fallen along racial lines: 81 percent of Asian residents and 61 percent of Latinos have gotten at least one shot, compared to 53 percent of whites and 46 percent of Black New Yorkers.

Harlem's surge in shots coincides with the recent mandates imposed by the city and state. The so-called "Key to NYC," which requires proof of vaccination at indoor restaurants, museums and gyms, took effect Aug. 16, with enforcement beginning Sept. 13. Citywide vaccination rates have likewise risen since then.

A statewide vaccine mandate for health workers went into effect Monday, spurring thousands of people to get their shots, while another mandate for city teachers will take effect 5 p.m. Friday — though teachers have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block it.

All told, at least 227,450 people across Harlem's eight ZIP codes have gotten vaccinated as of Wednesday. East Harlem's 10035 ZIP code has the highest percentage, at 71 percent, while 10030 in Central Harlem has the neighborhood's lowest rate: 58 percent.

Here's the vaccination data for all eight Harlem ZIP codes, as of Wednesday:

• 10026 – Central Harlem (South): 61 percent received one dose, 55 percent fully vaccinated
• 10027 – Central Harlem (South)/Morningside Heights/West Harlem: 64 percent received one dose, 57 percent fully vaccinated
• 10029 – East Harlem: 68 percent received one dose, 61 percent fully vaccinated
• 10030 – Central Harlem (North): 58 percent received one dose, 51 percent fully vaccinated
• 10031 – Hamilton Heights/West Harlem: 66 percent received one dose, 60 percent fully vaccinated
• 10035 – East Harlem: 71 percent received one dose, 62 percent fully vaccinated
• 10037 – Central Harlem (North)/East Harlem: 63 percent received one dose, 55 percent fully vaccinated
• 10039 – Central Harlem (North)/Washington Heights (South): 59 percent received one dose, 50 percent fully vaccinated

To find a vaccine site near you, visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

Related coverage:

• Harlem's Vaccine Rates Rose By 5% After $100 Incentive: Data
• NYC COVID Vaccinations Spike After Mandates Take Hold: Data