(GOT HAMIST) – A sudden federal halt to the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has dampened hopes among NYC Muslim leaders who were planning for a substantial vaccination push during Ramadan.
Universal eligibility for the vaccines arrived not long before Muslim New Yorkers welcomed Ramadan on April 12th. Religious leaders and the city had debuted pop-up vaccination sites at three mosques, ICNA Markaz and Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens and Al-Masjidu Adam in the Bronx. Each mosque had its own rules on securing a vaccine—from simply walking in to filling out google forms.
Mayor Bill de Blasio visited Al-Masjidu Adam days before Ramadan to speak with Black Muslim Leaders on the city’s program, and city officials had hoped to expand the program to all five boroughs.
“We’re going to be working with all faiths, all houses of worship, because we found this has been really effective way to get more people to come in and be vaccinated in a setting that they trust and feel comfortable in,” the mayor said on April 12th. “So, good news for the Muslim community.”
A day later, federal regulators recommended a pause on all Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine shots, interrupting many of the city’s efforts to reach its sprawling Islamic community. More than 760,000 Muslims live in the five boroughs, an incredibly diverse group composed of U.S.-born members and immigrants from more than 75 countries that accounts for almost nine percent of the city’s population. Due to the J&J pause, the pop-up sites at the mosques canceled all appointments and dates after April 13.
This setback came as COVID case rates were plateauing and hospitalizations were low, resulting in more mosques reopening in time for the holy month-long holiday. Vaccination efforts through community mosques would be convenient and beneficial for the community, according to Lamiya Khandaker, the project manager at the Islamic Leadership Council of New York (ILCNY), an umbrella organization that represents 90 mosques and Islamic organizations.
