You are reading

New Yorkers 65 and Older Can Now Receive the COVID-19 Vaccination: Cuomo

COVID-19 Vaccination (Ed Reed/ Mayoral Photography Office)

Jan. 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin

New Yorkers 65 and older can now receive the COVID-19 vaccination, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.

The announcement comes one day after people 75 and older became eligible for the shot across the state.

Cuomo said he lowered the age restrictions in line with newly-released guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommend health officials begin vaccinating people 65 and older as well as the immunocompromised.

Those 65 and older can begin scheduling appointments to receive their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine starting today, Secretary to Gov. Cuomo Melissa DeRosa confirmed on Twitter.

However, state officials are waiting for clearer guidance from the CDC on who is considered immunocompromised before opening appointments for people who fall into that category. The group will likely include people with heart and respiratory issues among other underlying health conditions.

Cuomo said that the expansion in vaccine eligibility means 7 million New Yorkers can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, he warned that the state doesn’t have the supply to meet the demand.

“We receive 300,000 dosages per week — that has not changed…,” Cuomo said on a call with reporters. “At 300,000 per week, how do you effectively serve 7 million people all of whom are now eligible?”

The governor had been reluctant to increase the number of New Yorkers who can currently receive the coronavirus vaccine last week.

After pushback from Mayor Bill de Blasio and other local leaders, Cuomo added educators, first responders such as police officers and firefighters, public transit workers and people 75 and older to the vaccine eligibility list.

Now, people 65 and older as well as others who are eligible can make an appointment to get vaccinated by calling 877-VAX-4NYC or visiting nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Suspect wanted for groping woman in downtown Jamaica supermarket before escaping on bicycle: NYPD

The NYPD released surveillance images on Tuesday of a suspect being sought by the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica for allegedly stalking a woman at a Key Food supermarket in downtown Jamaica and groping her before fleeing on a bicycle in mid-August.

The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 14, as the 25-year-old victim was walking down an aisle inside the store located at 148-35 Jamaica Ave.

Mayor Adams marks third anniversary of Hurricane Ida in Queens Village, highlights citywide flood prevention efforts

Mayor Eric Adams visited Queens Village on Monday to highlight flood prevention and disaster preparedness investments across the five boroughs, before testing positive for COVID-19 and entering isolation at Gracie Mansion.

The Mayor provided an update on new and ongoing efforts to protect public safety and property by combating flooding and safeguarding residents from the effects of climate change while marking the third anniversary of Hurricane Ida, which brought the heaviest rainfall in city history and claimed the lives of 13 New Yorkers, eight of them in Queens.

Hollis Library

Sep. 11, 2024 By Athena Dawson

The Hollis Library, a branch of the Queens Public Library, will close for two years starting Monday, Sept. 30, with its final day of service on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Jamaica man indicted in 2018 cold-case murder of Brooklyn rapper at a Woodhaven bar: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Jamaica man for the fatal drive-by shooting of a rapper outside a Woodhaven pub in 2018.

Johnathan Rice, 43, of 178th Street, was arraigned on Friday on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree for allegedly gunning down 35-year-old Frank Synder, a Brooklyn hip hop performer and party promoter known as “Hollywood Play,” outside the Tavern Lounge in Woodhaven, where he was hosting an event for a friend’s birthday.