NYC to offer 2nd dose of COVID vaccine at public schools

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

NYC to offer 2nd dose of COVID vaccine at public schoolsSandra Bookman has the latest COVID vaccine efforts underway at New York City public schools, plus details on this year's New Year's Eve celebration.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Amid overwhelming demand, New York City officials announced Tuesday that they will resume administering COVID-19 vaccines at public schools and will also be offering second doses starting November 30.

Vaccine clinics for 5- to 11-year-olds had initially been scheduled through Monday, but they will resume Wednesday after nearly a third of newly eligible children were vaccinated at public school sites "in just a few days."

"We are going to be going back to some of the highest demand school sites," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "Any place where there was high demand, we are going to keep sending our mobile vaccination units, keep making sure we can reach parents and kids who want to get vaccinated."

On Monday, both the mayor of New York City and the governor of New Jersey urged adults over 18 who are already vaccinated to get a booster shot.

City officials said they did not expect so many parents to choose school vaccination sites, but they have now shifted more resources into the program.

Officials said 26,300 vaccinations were administered at school sites in just five days, and a total of 72,000 have been administered to children ages 5 to 11 citywide.

Thirty school will provide vaccination on Wednesday, and 30 more will be added on Thursday.

There will be a blitz of charter school sites starting Friday into next week.

"We are going to be out at charter schools doing vaccination efforts, right in the school, reaching all our children," de Blasio said.

ALSO READ | Meet Ji-Young, the 1st Asian American muppet on 'Sesame Street'

Ji-Young is the first Asian American muppet on "Sesame Street." She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out and skateboarding.

Starting November 30, the school sites will offer second doses of the vaccine in addition to first doses.

"This is the only city in the country offering in school vaccination on a totally comprehensive scale, because we go to where the people are," de Blasio said. "We go to where the families are, we go to where the children are. This is where the magic of the New York City effort, going to the people."

Schedules can be found at Schools.nyc.gov/COVID19, and school leaders are also sending home communications with students.