What to Know
- The first five community vaccination kits have been sent to NYCHA housing developments across New York City.
- This marks the latest move to equitably distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to communities that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems, according to the governor.
- These vaccinations sites are strictly limited to eligible NYCHA residents. Residents can make appointments by contacting Somos, the state's partner organization, by calling 1-833-SOMOSNY.
The first five community vaccination kits have been sent to NYCHA housing developments across New York City, marking the latest move to equitably distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to communities that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems, governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday.
These vaccinations sites are strictly limited to eligible NYCHA residents. Residents can make appointments by contacting Somos, the state's partner organization, by calling 1-833-SOMOSNY.
"We have one priority and one priority alone - getting shots into arms - and as we continue our work to expand the network of vaccination sites, it's critical to make sure the vaccine is distributed fairly and equitably," Cuomo said. "Getting the vaccine to New Yorkers who are underserved by traditional health care institutions or living in health care deserts is a top priority, and these sites in NYCHA housing bring us a step closer to that goal."
However, New Yorkers are urged to be patient when making appointments to be vaccinated since the vaccine supply is limited. The state's vaccine supply is determined by the federal government. With over 7 million New Yorkers now eligible for the COVID vaccine, the state only receives 300,000 doses per week.
"New York doing its part in getting the vaccine distributed quickly and fairly, but we need the federal government to step up and increase the supply. We have come too far and been through too much to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, only to be stymied by a slow federal distribution process," the governor went on to say.
The five sites for eligible NYCHA residents with appointments are located at:
- Bronx - West Tremont Avenue-Sedgwick Avenue Area, 200 West Tremont Ave., Bronx, NY 10453
- Brooklyn - Stuyvesant Gardens II, 150 Malcolm X Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11221
- East Harlem - 307 East 116 St., New York, NY 10029
- Queens - International Tower 90-20 170 St., Queens, NY 11432
- Staten Island - 230 Broad St., Staten Island, NY 10304
"We have worked from day one of this pandemic to bring equitable and culturally responsive care to underserved New Yorkers, and we will keep working until everyone is vaccinated—that means essential workers and vulnerable New Yorkers including seniors, who live here at the Corsi Houses," SOMOS Community Care President Dr. Henry Chen said.
News
The news comes on the same day that the mayor revealed New York City has moved closer to a cutoff point in its vaccination rollout as multiple hospitals told patients who booked appointments for their first dose that there were no more vaccines, for now. Mayor Bill de Blasio had warned days ago the city would run out of doses at some point next week without a "major" new infusion.
De Blasio doubled down on those comments Friday on WNYC, when he said in no uncertain terms the city would run out of vaccine in a week at this rate.
"We're speeding up the process and getting them the vaccine, but we're not going to have enough vaccine by the end of next week," de Blasio said Friday.
He said the feds need to send hundreds of thousands more doses above the allotment to keep the process moving at this week's expedited pace. One hundred twenty-five thousand New Yorkers got dosed between Monday and Thursday, de Blasio said, well on the way to the city's goal of 150,000 shots a week.
"If there's no supply, we're going to have to freeze the appointment system," the mayor warned. "That would be insane. We should get the supply commensurate to our ability to give the vaccine. It makes no sense we're being starved of the vaccine when we're vaccinating at this high level. As soon as we get it in now, it's going right into people's arms."
Cuomo raised some questions on that last point Friday as he shared data on vaccine administration performance across the state's regions and by provider within those regions. Ultimately, he agreed with de Blasio that federal supply is a severe -- and mounting -- problem.
