NYC set to run out of COVID vaccine today or tomorrow, holding off on making thousands of appointments

Coronavirus update for NYC

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, February 18, 2021

NYC set to run out of COVID vaccine as FBI investigates Cuomo

Mayor de Blasio says the city has less than 30,000 first doses left and might run out of the COVID vaccine Wednesday or Thursday.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor de Blasio says the city has less than 30,000 first doses left and might run out of the COVID vaccine Wednesday or Thursday.

As a result, the city is holding off on scheduling 30,000 to 35,000 appointments.

The shortage is due to the winter storms across the country delaying the vaccines' arrival.

So far, the city has administered 1,364,956 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Mayor de Blasio says his goal, pending supply, would be to vaccine 500,000 New Yorkers a week.

Meantime, a new vaccination site opened Wednesday at Teachers Preparatory High School in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

It is for residents of the immediate neighborhood.

On Tuesday the city released data showing wealthier, predominately white neighborhoods with vaccine rates above 20 percent.

By contrast, in lower-income, black neighborhoods like East New York, Jamaica, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, just 3 percent of the population has gotten the first dose.

Jim Dolan reports Mount Sinai Hospital announced Tuesday night that they were canceling some appointments to give out first doses of the vaccine because they were suddenly getting fewer doses from the city than promised.

Those neighborhoods with low vaccination rates also tend to have higher rates of infection.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city is opening more vaccination sites in these neighborhoods to try to change that.

"We're going to be doing a lot of grassroots outreach to draw people from Brownsville and East New York to this center right in their community, to get the help that they need and deserve," the mayor said. "And grassroots outreach, grassroots leadership, is going to be key to getting this done."

The city also updated its vaccine scheduler in 10 different languages. You can visit nyc.gov/vax4nyc to make an appointment in New York City.

Mount Sinai Hospital announced Tuesday night that they were canceling some appointments to give out first doses of the vaccine because they were suddenly getting fewer doses from the city than promised.

NYU Langone said it is cutting back on the number of appointments they offer to give out the vaccine for the same reason.

Both the state and city are shifting resources to get vaccines into neighborhoods most in need.

Lauren Glassberg has the latest on the vaccination sites in NYC and who is next in line for the shot.

Here are the newest vaccination sites opening in New York City:

Teachers Prep High School in Brooklyn: Opening Wednesday 2/17, prioritizing home health aides, Brownsville and East New York community. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days a week

Empire Outlets on Staten Island: Opening Friday 2/19, for Staten Island residents only. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week.

For homebound seniors, NYC will use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to deliver the single dose to seniors in their homes and at vaccine clinics at retirement communities. The city will vaccinate 25,000 home health aides within the coming month.