Taxi drivers say they are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and should be allotted a portion of the vaccine as Pfizer gets closer to its approval. 

The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers feels its members have been overlooked. The 30,000 members of the federation have been in the communities, particularly outer boroughs, with at least 20 % testing positive for the virus. 

Now, as a Pfizer vaccine gets closer to being approved—they want a portion allotted to them. While there are at least 150,000 taxi drivers in New York City—the federation is asking for its 30,000 members. 

They say they are on the front lines but not recognized by the state or city government. They claim they are transporting people who might have the virus but do not show symptoms. 

They believe as more people seek to get vaccinated their drivers will be essential. 

“Having a vaccine is a good thing, it’s the best thing but not having people that they can administer it to because there’s no transportation or safe transportation, that’s a whole different issue,” said member Fernando Mateo. 

They say it would only be for the drivers that want the vaccine. They believe it would be a drop in the bucket for the company since it is expected to mass-produce tens of thousands of doses.

The federation says it has tried to contact Pfizer but has had a hard time getting through. 

A Pfizer spokesperson told News 12 in a statement, “During the initial pandemic stage, our contracts are with the governments, and we’ll be providing doses according to their preferred channel and designated vaccination locations.”