Brooklyn Boro

Mayor announces COVID-19 vaccination vans, also more walk-in sites for elderly

Sites for over-75 include Coney Island Y, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Starrett City and more

April 7, 2021 Jaime DeJesus, Brooklynreporter.com
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New York City will now deploy COVID-19 mobile vaccination vans and buses, with the help of Johnson & Johnson, to serve locations where people might have trouble traveling to other sites to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement on April 6. He also announced more walk-in vaccine locations for New Yorkers 75 and older at already existing city-run vaccine sites.

The city’s pilot walk-in sites in Brooklyn for people over 75 include the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Coney Island YMCA (which opens on April 8), Bushwick Educational Campus, Canarsie High School, Starrett City-Spring Creek Towers, Teachers Prep, Flatbush YMCA and City Point. The locations where the vans and buses will be deployed been decided yet.

“We’re doing all we can to get as many shots in arms as possible,” said de Blasio. “With over 4.6 million doses now administered, we’re going above and beyond to reach every New Yorker, deploying mobile vans and expanding walk-ins to help our city recover one dose at a time.”

The mobile vaccination effort was made possible by Johnson & Johnson vaccine and will include a fleet of vans and buses that will each carry four to six staffers who can give the injections. The vans will deliver the COVID-19 vaccine directly to communities most in need.

The locations of the vans will be decided by the City’s Task Force for Racial Inclusion and Equity. The task force will look at areas that were hard-hit by the virus and that have a history of socio-economic need.

The vans will offer approximately 200 vaccine doses per day, for a range of one to three days. Community-based organizations will help New Yorkers schedule vaccination appointments with the vaccine fleet ahead of time.

The fleet’s first bus will focus on reaching restaurant workers and delivery workers. Promobile Kitchen will operate the vehicle, Daybreak Health will administer vaccine doses and Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants (ROAR) will lead outreach efforts to restaurant workers, helping them sign up for appointments ahead of time and on site.

“Through our mobile vaccine fleet launching today, equipped with vans and buses, we intend to take these efforts on the road, delivering vaccines directly to populations and communities hardest-hit by the pandemic, like restaurant workers and delivery workers who’ve been on the frontlines feeding our City since the outset of this crisis,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog.

Details about additional mobile vaccine sites will be announced in the coming weeks.

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