De Blasio says NYC deserves more vaccine doses

NEW YORK - New York City gets 43% of the state's weekly allotment of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government. But Mayor Bill de Blasio says that isn't fair. And he is looking to cut out the middleman.

"We can cut out the middle person and get to work vaccinating more people quickly and more effectively," de Blasio said. 

And by the "middle person," he means Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"We are not getting our fair share of the vaccine, even though we are vaccinating so many from the suburbs from Connecticut and New Jersey," the mayor said. "We should be getting more vaccine from the state."

The federal rules state New York City is guaranteed roughly 40% of the state's allotment. But de Blasio is appealing directly to the Biden administration to bypass the state-structured vaccine distribution system and send its supply directly to some major cities.

Moderna begins study of COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12

Doing so might pit New York City against some of the state's smaller regions — Buffalo, Rochester, or even Albany. It would also put more vaccine doses in the state's most densely populated region.

De Blasio said the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, told him she is also dealing with an uncooperative governor.

"It's extremely frustrating," de Blasio said.

The city was due on Tuesday to surpass the distribution of more than 3 million doses, which is a huge step on its way to meeting the mayor's goal of 5 million shots by June.