Three
new vaccination sites have opened at New York City Housing Authority complexes
in the city for residents 65 and older.
The
first three sites at NYCHA developments are in Brooklyn, Staten Island and
Manhattan, and are only available for residents 65 and older as the city
continues to broaden its reach of people receiving coronavirus vaccines.
One
of those sites was at the Van Dyker Houses in East New York.
Mayor
Bill de Blasio launched these sites and said vaccines must get to the residents
who need them most.
“That’s
why we’re meeting our most vulnerable where they are,” the mayor says.
“Providing vaccines to our NYCHA seniors right in their own communities.”
The
city is targeting communities of colors and those hit hardest by the pandemic.
President
of Ambulance Rapid Reliable Testing Anthony Capon says it makes sense to go
where the biggest problem is
and oftentimes, seniors are
the ones who have the greatest
ramifications if they get sick.
Esther
Williams, who has already had the coronavirus, says she’s “extremely excited”
to get the vaccine.
“I’ve
had this monster and I don’t want to have it again,” Williams says.
She
says she spent eight weeks getting over the virus.
The new sites add to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s first five community vaccination kits that
have been deployed for NYCHA residents.
The state is asking everyone to be patient as more than 7 million New York residents are now eligible to receive the
vaccine.