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Mass vaccination sites open in NY for children 5-11 years old

By and FOX 5 NY Staff
Updated  November 16, 2021 7:37am EST
New York
FOX 5 NY

NY mass vaccination sites for chilcren

New York is setting up COVID-19 mass vaccination sites for children.

NEW YORK - With rising concerns over a post-holiday COVID spike, New York State has established mass vaccination sites for 5-11-year-olds. 

200 NYC public schools will offer the vaccines. This comes as health experts describe this upcoming weekend as pivotal with the weather cooling down and Thanksgiving around the corner.

CLICK HERE FOR MASS VACCINATION SITE LOCATIONS

The former head of the Food and Drug Administration told a morning news program Sunday that a post-holiday spike is likely.

"People are exhausted right now but we need to remain vigilant for a little while longer, Dr. Scott Gottlieb

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The nation is seeing a COVID spike. According to the CDC, cases are up 11% over the last two weeks. Also, 68% of counties have high community transmission.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says there is good news: the numbers have significantly declined since the delta variant peaked a few months ago.

"As winter approaches, people go indoors and the virus transmits in cold dry air. We know that increases of the possibility that there will be spread," said Dr. Murthy on FOX News Sunday.

The highest spread, many experts say, will be in places that were not hard by the delta wave like the Tri-State area.

New coronavirus test

A new, less invasive, method of COVID-19 test was developed in a New York lab. FOX 5 News got an exclusive look inside the lab.

There are tools to protect ourselves. 

Dr. Gotlieb said the fastest way to increase immunity is through boosting people who have already been vaccinated. 18% of Americans choose to remain unvaccinated.

Some of the mass vaccination sites for children 5-11 years old.

Some of the mass vaccination sites for children 5-11 years old. (FOX 5 NY)

There is a major push to vaccinate 5 to 11 -year-olds across New York State.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 10 mass vaccination sites will now have pediatric doses available, too. Selected sites include SUNY Old Westbury on Long Island, the NY National Guard Armory in Westchester County, the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, and the Bay Eden Senior Center in the Bronx, to name a few. 

New York City public schools have been hosting pop-up vaccination sites over the last week. Today is supposed to be the last day the program is offered. Turnout has been so high that city health officials told FOX 5 they are considering extending the program to this week.