Cuomo touts Javits expansion, says 12- to 15-year-olds could start getting Pfizer COVID shot by Thursday
New York officials are anticipating making the Pfizer-produced COVID-19 vaccine to kids between the ages of 12 and 15 as soon as Thursday, according to Gov. Cuomo.
State health officials and the Clinical Advisory Task Force, convened to double-check federal authorization, will likely greenlight the expanded eligibility following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s planned vaccine advisory committee on Wednesday.
“Once the federal government acts, we have a second approval by the state,” the governor said Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the expanded Javits Center. “If the federal government approves it, I would expect the state would approve it.”
More clinical trials are underway to determine whether the two-dose Pfizer vaccine is safe for even younger children. The company has said that if the trials go well, its doses could be available for kids as young as 2 by the fall.
Cuomo said it will be up to parents to decide whether their kids get the shots as the state remains focused on convincing already eligible young adults and those under 40 to get immunized against coronavirus.
Nearly half of all eligible New Yorkers age 18 and are now fully vaccinated, according to the governor’s office.
The state has greatly expanded access to shots in recent weeks after months of tight restrictions due to a limited supply of doses.
Cuomo went so far as to offer free MetroCards to commuters who choose to get vaccinated at a number of transit hubs that will offer shots later this week.
All state-run mass vaccination sites are now open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first-come, first-served basis and even tourists can get immunized in the Empire State should they so choose.
“Our providers and site operators are working around the clock to get more shots into people’s arms, and we continue to reach new milestones in our vaccination efforts thanks to their hard work and dedication,” Cuomo said.
The governor, who has remained focused on vaccinations and reigniting the post-COVID economy as he faces calls for his resignation amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment and other scandals, was joined by local officials Wednesday as he touted the completion of a massive $1.5-billion expansion to the Javits Convention Center.
Cuomo commended the construction crews for completing the project despite the pandemic and the fact that the center was used as a field hospital and vaccination site in recent months.
“We worked to continue the project through COVID because we knew that we would need it post-COVID, and that is exactly what has been accomplished here today,” the governor said. “As the economy is reopening and crowds are regathering, we have the place for them to come at the new Javits Center.”
