The U.S. city hardest hit economically by the COVID-19 pandemic, New York is now racing to recover and reopen. Can vaccination keep pace to ensure an equitable and safe new semblance of normal? In conversation with City College President Vincent Boudreau, CCNY Dean of Science Susan Perkins explains vaccine safety and outlines risks of virus variants and under-vaccination. City Council Member Mark Levine of northern Manhattan, chair of the Council's Health Committee, reports on vaccination activity in Harlem and beyond, the tragic costs of systemic racial health disparities and the pivots he urges City government to make to protect New Yorkers, especially in vulnerable communities, now and long-term.

Host: CCNY President Vincent BoudreauGuests: Susan L. Perkins, Martin and Michele Cohen Dean of Science at CCNY; Mark Levine, New York City Councilmember Representing District 7 (Northern Manhattan) and Chair, City Council Committee on Health.Recorded: May 19, 2021