Q&A
Council Member Narcisse discusses hypertension prevention and vaccination concerns with Health Commissioner
1:15:10
·
3 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse engages in a Q&A session with Acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse, discussing topics including hypertension prevention, the implementation of a bill for accessible blood pressure monitoring, and concerns about vaccination hesitancy in the context of public health initiatives.
- Narcisse inquires about the progress of a bill (NSHO 996) to make sphygmomanometers more accessible in communities.
- The discussion touches on the impact of sanitation improvements and vaccinations on life expectancy.
- Concerns are raised about the growing anti-vaccination sentiment and its potential effects on public health efforts.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:15:10
One of the thing that we always talk about, right, in health care, hypertension is a big things for us.
1:15:15
Right?
1:15:16
But I recently worked on NSHO 996 to create access around for the sphygmomanometer to be accessible to people, like, within their communities and as well as giving educational information so they can make the best decision.
1:15:36
How you see that bill going and, how that can be helpful, in the process of prevent preventive care?
Michelle Morse
1:15:45
Thank you for the council, for the question, chair.
1:15:48
We would be happy to follow-up with you offline about intro 996.
1:15:52
We do have guidance from the health department about, taking home blood pressure, how to do so, how to collaborate with your primary care doctor.
1:16:01
So this is an area that we have worked on in the past, but we'd be happy to follow-up separately about that specific bill.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:16:07
Okay.
1:16:09
One of the things that caught my attention in your statement, through improvements in sanitation, that's how you're gonna improve, our, life expectancy.
1:16:21
Right?
1:16:22
Improvement in sanitation, water infrastructure, and vaccinations.
1:16:24
With what's going on, the narrative that vaccinations.
1:16:28
With what's going on, the narrative that's going around right now more than ever in our country and bring it to New York City, how you see that going to affect us for people that against vaccinations?
Michelle Morse
1:16:43
Thank you for the question.
1:16:44
We did, you know, experience a lot of that during the COVID pandemic.
1:16:50
Yeah.
1:16:51
There are lots of different communities who have different perspectives on the value of certain perspectives on the value of certain public health interventions.
1:16:57
For our current Healthy NYC campaign and the 7 main drivers of shortened life expectancy, we do have a number of different interventions that we think are the real path forward for improving life expectancy.
1:17:11
And COVID vaccines, flu vaccines, other, you know, effective and safe public health intervention, interventions are definitely a part of what we will continue to support, across New York City to protect the health of New Yorkers.
1:17:29
And so, you know, our perspective again is that, the COVID vaccine, flu vaccines, these are safe and effective interventions to protect the health of the public during respiratory viral season and beyond.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:17:41
The reason I ask that question is because unfortunately we talk we talking about COVID, like, almost in the past for for what we've been through.
1:17:49
But, we live in a global world and I am so concerned that it's increasing more and more that people not see vaccination.
1:17:59
It's, something that we after all the study proven that it works for human being on this planet.
1:18:07
So, whatever we can do to encourage, while I respect those that feel like this is what I want to do but in general perspective in the global way of seeing things I think we need to stay kind of focused on setting advertisement out, whatever we do, videos, anything to encourage people to understand that is part of our life.
1:18:30
So thank you for your work and I do appreciate you.
1:18:34
Thank you.
Ji Yoo Lee
1:18:34
Thank you.
