December 31st – The New York state government revealed that groups recovering from drug addiction will be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus this week. The news caused controversy in New York public opinion, which some lawmakers criticized as “absolute shame”.
According to Business Insider on the 30th, New York Governor Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday (28th) that a batch of vaccines will be sent to OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and Support) for priority vaccination by personnel serving at the agency.
At the same time, people recovering from drug addiction in such institutions will also be given priority for vaccination, who Cuomo said live in “collective places” and these places are “very risky” due to their dense population.
The move in New York State has aroused public dissatisfaction, and some lawmakers have expressed opposition. New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik regarded the plan as an “absolute shame” because drug addicts will be vaccinated before some elderly people.
Florida Senator Scott accused the governor of New York of “againating the failure of New Yorkers” and said “we should ensure that the use of the vaccine is a priority for the elderly, the most vulnerable, and the front-line Americans fighting this virus.”
OASAS responded to the criticism of parliamentarians. A spokesman said: “Unfortunately, people who recover from drug addiction are still stigmatized in terms of equal access to health care.
These people should have the same access to health care as everyone else, and vaccination of people with high risk of contracting COVID-19 should be consistent with other high-risk groups.”
