15 NYC vaccine sites postpone 1st-dose appointments
NEW YORK - More than a dozen New York City-run COVID-19 vaccination sites are postponing all first-dose appointments and other sites have stopped making new appointments as the state burns through its supply of the shots.
Vaccinations in the city haven't stopped, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Another 45,000 doses were administered Wednesday, bringing the total number of people who have gotten a shot in the city to nearly half a million.
But the city's capacity to hand out shots, which was initially limited, now far exceeds the number of doses available.
"We're going to be at 50,000 a day and more very soon if we have the vaccine to go with it," de Blasio said. "It's just tremendously sad that we have so many people who want the vaccine and so much ability to give the vaccine, what's happening? For lack of supply, we're actually having to cancel appointments." (Story continues)
Both de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been pleading for more doses of the two vaccines that have been approved for emergency use, both of which require two doses for maximum effectiveness.
"I believe that President Biden is extraordinarily focused and will use the Defense Production Act, will get us every possible dose he can get us," de Blasio said.
In the meantime, all Jan. 21 through Jan. 24 appointments for the first dose of the vaccine at 15 community vaccination hubs set up by the city health department have been postponed to next week.
Other health department-run clinics, including 24-hour sites in Manhattan and Queens, are continuing to operate, said health commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi, who joined de Blasio at a video briefing.
An additional three sites run by the city's public hospital system are running, "but vaccine is running low and all of the appointments are filled," said Dr. Mitchell Katz, head of the hospital system. (Story continues)
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STATEMENT ON NYC.GOV COVID-19 PORTAL
Vaccine Hub Appointments Rescheduled
Due to a shortage of vaccine supply, any appointments scheduled at a COVID-19 Vaccine Hub for January 21 through January 24 will be rescheduled.
All such appointments will be rescheduled for exactly one week from the original appointment at the same time. For example, if your appointment was for January 22 at 10 a.m., it will be rescheduled to January 29 at 10 a.m.
If you had an appointment scheduled for this time period, a Vaccine Hub representative will call you to confirm your new appointment or, if necessary, find you a different appointment time.
We look forward to resuming vaccinations in full force once our vaccine supply is replenished.