Friend,

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is ramping up in the United States, but disparities in access to medical services have made it difficult for some of the most vulnerable people to get immunized.

Many in Puerto Rico face barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccines because they lack transportation, live in remote areas, or have conditions that make it difficult to reach a vaccination site. In Brooklyn, lower COVID-19 vaccination rates in economically disadvantaged and predominantly Black or Hispanic communities, including Brownsville and East New York, point to broader racial and economic disparities in access to health care in the United States.

Though an average of over three million shots have been administered per day over the last week, the unfortunate reality is that many of the people who need the COVID-19 vaccine most still aren’t getting it.

That’s why Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recently partnered with local organizations in the U.S. to help them vaccinate hard-to-reach or underserved communities in New York City and Puerto Rico. Read on to learn more about what we’re doing to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the United States.

One year ago, MSF began its largest medical response in the United States, helping address the unprecedented need for health care support in places including Michigan, Florida, and the Navajo Nation. Now, we’re lending a helping hand again in Brooklyn, New York, and Puerto Rico to ensure vulnerable people have access to a COVID-19 vaccine—including those who are disabled, experiencing homelessness, or live in remote areas.

This effort proves that if we work together, we can help get everyone the care they need. Because this pandemic won’t be over until it’s over for everyone, everywhere.

Take a moment to learn more about how MSF is supporting local organizations as they work to vaccinate vulnerable communities in Brooklyn and Puerto Rico.

P.S. You can support our COVID-19 response in New York City, Puerto Rico, and help us deliver essential medical aid in more than 70 countries around the world by making a generous gift to MSF now.