Gov. Kathy Hochul visited East Flatbush Tuesday to talk about her new statewide #VaxtoSchool initiative.
Hochul said she is watching the numbers of COVID cases in schools like a hawk. Right now, it is voluntary to get your child vaccinated. If numbers go up, she is willing to consider anything, including a possible vaccine mandate. She says nothing is off the table.
"We as parents cannot do anything to endanger our children," she says. "By keeping them unvaccinated during a global pandemic, which is not over yet, is something I cannot comprehend as a parent."
Hochul took an up-close look at one mobile vaccination van hitting the road Wednesday. She says there will be 120 new sites and vans all over the state so parents can see how easy it is to get the shot. The mobile vaccination sites are partnering with schools by giving out parent consent forms. She says she wants to make getting the shot vaccine a normal routine.
The #VaxtoSchool program will run throughout the fall and will specifically target communities of color with low vaccination rates among young people. The hope is to make the process of getting vaccinated seamless, quick and easy.