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The Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced a $750,000 gift to Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's Northern Manhattan Start Right Coalition, a community-based childhood immunization program. Members of the community joined with elected officials and leaders from Bank of America, Mailman School of Public Health, and Columbia University Medical Center to support the Start Right Coalition's efforts to vaccinate all of the approximately 6,000 children born annually in Washington Heights and Harlem and to announce the Start Right Coalition's latest immunization coverage rates.
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation grant will enable the scale up of the existing Start Right program, linking the Coalition members in a coordinated network to reach and vaccinate all 6,000 children born annually in Northern Manhattan.
The Start Right Coalition's latest research findings released on Feb. 6 show the significant improvement in immunization rates as a result of the community-wide program:
- The current 80.5% immunization rate for children in the Start Right program, is a 30% increase since the program's inception in 1999. This figure, for children 19-35 months, exceeds the 73% average for New York City and exceeds the national average of 79%.
- The 78% immunization rate for African-American children living in Harlem is higher than the 73% for U.S. African Americans.
- The 84% immunization rate for Latino children residing in Washington Heights exceeds the 77% for Latino children in the U.S.
- The national average for U.S. white, non-Latino children is currently 82.5%.
"Bank of America is committed to advancing the development of children as part of our commitment to fostering healthy and vibrant neighborhoods," said Anne Finucane, director of global corporate affairs at Bank of America. "The Start Right Coalition Program will provide the children born in Northern Manhattan each year with the opportunity to have a strong foundation for a healthy future with a goal of meeting the national standard of 90% immunized by age two. We're proud that our contribution will have a positive effect on families and children in New York City."
"We are delighted with our alliance with the Bank of America Charitable Foundation," said Roy Vagelos, chairman of Columbia University Medical Center's capital campaign, Defining the Future. "The partnership between Bank of America and Columbia University Medical Center will directly impact the Washington Heights community and it will help Columbia maintain its position at the forefront of patient care." |
