De Blasio weighing whether to defy Cuomo vaccination group order

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reiterated his call to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state officials to expand the pool of eligible New Yorkers for the coronavirus vaccine and is weighing whether to vaccinate them anyway.

Cuomo shot down de Blasio's plan a day earlier to expand vaccination to some police officers and corrections officers. Currently, the state is allowing vaccinations of group 1a eligible people only which consists of nursing home residents and staff and health care workers.

On Thursday, de Blasio said the groups allowed in the first category should expand and include the most vulnerable. Those aged 75 years old and older should be vaccinated immediately as the number of cases in that age group surges.

"I'm much more concerned right now that we vaccinate the most people possible and we don't have the freedom to do it and we need it," said de Blasio from City Hall.

Those numbers have fallen shorter than anticipated at the 125 vaccination sites established across the city.

"The problem that we are seeing is that when you have a voluntary vaccination and people have to present themselves to be vaccinated, it's not like pushing a button and doing something automatically.  Within category 1a, all those folks, you need the person to be willing and there to do it," said de Blasio.

While he says his administration is trying to respect state law, the city wants to reach as many people as possible.

"I will certainly speak to the law department further because I think what's happening here makes no sense,' said de Blasio.

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. David Chokshi outlined the steps to getting vaccinated during the briefing. He said anyone eligible to be vaccinated should visit the city's vaccination website at NYC.gov/VaccineLocations to schedule an appointment. 

"The risk of severe outcomes is one of the reasons we want to move as quickly as possible to vaccinate those age 75 years and over," said Dr. Chokshi.

Call centers to make appointments will open on Monday.

"We have the wrong rules. We need the freedom to vaccinate," said de Blasio.

RELATED: Urgent warning to New Yorkers aged 75 and over about spread of coronavirus