Pharmacies to dispense jabs under US rollout

The administration of US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that it will begin direct shipments of coronavirus vaccines to retail pharmacies across the country.

From Feb 11, 1 million doses will be distributed to about 6,500 pharmacies, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said in a briefing.

"Millions of Americans turn to their local pharmacies every day for their medicines, flu shots and much more. And pharmacies are readily accessible in most communities, with most Americans living within five miles (eight kilometers) of a pharmacy," he said. "This will provide more sites for people to get vaccinated in their communities."

The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines is expected to accelerate as drugmakers increase production. The White House said the ultimate goal is to distribute the vaccines through more than 40,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The administration also announced it is boosting the weekly allocation of vaccines going to states, territories and Native American tribes to 10.5 million doses from this week, a 22 percent increase since Biden took office on Jan 20.

The brisker rollout of vaccines will be of particular benefit to Chinese Americans. They have been among the racial and ethnic groups hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, according to recent research by NYC Health+ Hospitals, the city's public hospital system.

Although Chinese New Yorkers had lower test positivity and hospitalization rates, the disaggregating data shows that they have had the highest COVID-19 death rates of all racial and ethnic groups.

They had a mortality rate of 37 percent, making them nearly 1.5 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white patients, according to the report.

The research analyzed 85,328 patients tested for COVID-19 in New York City's public hospital system－the largest such system in the United States.

Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate who is running for mayor of New York City, said on Tuesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

"I am experiencing mild symptoms but am otherwise feeling well and in good spirits. I will quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines and follow the advice of my doctor," Yang, who is of Chinese heritage, said in a statement.

Yang said he still plans to attend virtual events, adding that "when the time is right, I look forward to once again hitting the campaign trail and advancing a positive vision for our city's future".

Agencies contributed to this story.