Appointments are no longer necessary at all of the 600 COVID-19 vaccine centers run by New York City’s government, effectively immediately, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday morning.
A person seeking a vaccine can just walk up and be vaccinated, he said.
“We want to make it simple. You can go to any city-run site,” de Blasio said, adding: “You can go there and get a shot.”
People who live or work in New York City are eligible. They must be at least 16 years old for the Pfizer vaccine, and at least 18 for the Moderna shot.
De Blasio’s announcement follows a pilot for walk-ins that started last month for older New Yorkers. Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had announced that, starting today, people 60 and older would be able to walk in for their shots, without appointments, at some state sites.
“A lot of people said it was the reason they came and got vaccinated. That it was a lot simpler for them, and we did not have the kinds of lines we were worried about that might be a problem, so we’re quite confident we can accommodate a much higher volume of walk-ins, so we’re going to make that universal,” de Blasio said.
When the first vaccines became available during the winter, appointments were grabbed within moments of being posted.
De Blasio urged vaccine centers run by other entities to allow walk-ins, and medical providers to reach out to patients to encourage vaccination.
So far, 6.4 million shots have been given in the city, de Blasio said.
Pop-up site in Greenport
In an effort to get the coronavirus vaccine to North Fork residents, Stony Brook-Eastern Long Island Hospital has announced a pop-up vaccination site at the Greenport Fire Department.
The first dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine will be offered at the firehouse, located at 236 Third St., on Tuesday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Second-dose appointments will be scheduled for May 18 at the firehouse, officials said.
The vaccine will be available to anyone who is at least 16 years old and lives in, works in or is a student in New York State. Participants also will be asked to fill out eligibility/registration forms, officials said. For more information and to make an appointment, visit: https://elih.stonybrookmedicine.edu/Coronavirus
With John Valenti
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