NYC works to meet big demand for children's COVID vaccines at schools

Coronavirus update for NYC

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

NYC works to meet big demand for kid vaccines at schools

New York City officials are working to keep up with huge at-school demand for children's COVID vaccines.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City officials are working to keep up with big at-school demand for children's COVID vaccines.

The turnout was so high at some locations Monday that children had to be turned away.

4,500 vaccinations were administered to students ages 5-11 yesterday alone, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Large turnouts are expected again today at many locations as parents try to get their children vaccinated, and so more than 24 mobile vaccination units will be stationed outside schools where demand is expected to be high.

CLICK HERE for more information on the dates and times city schools are offering vaccinations.

It comes amid the city's massive push to get younger children vaccinated.

Public schools across all five boroughs began hosting sites Monday and will continue to do so for at least the next week.

The city says of the 660,000 NYC children in that age group, about 24,000 have been able to get the shot.

The mayor is promising to make it easier for parents looking to get their children the vaccine.

"We sent mobile units over to some schools to help out if they had a line," he said Monday. "Look, having a line on one level is a great thing, obviously. But we want to accommodate parents and kids as quickly as possible. Any school where there's more demand, we will add an additional day, or whatever it takes, because we want to meet parents and kids where they are."

De Blasio has also said every city worker and contractor will get an additional four hours of sick leave to get each of their children vaccinated.

Legislation before City Council would extend that leave to workers in the private sector as well.