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Vaccinations for NYC schoolchildren
Monday was the last day for eligible students in New York City to get their shots in order to be fully vaccinated by the first day of school on Sept. 13.
NEW YORK - Dr. Yasmin Khakoo, a pediatrician and Upper East Side mom, said she didn't hesitate to get her daughter Aliya, 17, vaccinated against COVID-19. She is urging other parents to do the same.
"As a parent, I felt like everyone has the responsibility to keep their children safe, to keep their elders safe, to keep their family safe, and to keep our teachers safe," Khakoo said.
Monday was the last day for eligible students in New York City to get their shots in order to be fully vaccinated by the first day of school on Sept. 13.
"Despite months of working to get the message out, today not even 50% of young people between 12 and 17 in New York City are fully vaccinated," Council Member Mark Levine said. "It's actually really frustrating."
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Levine, the chair of the health committee and the Democratic nominee for Manhattan borough president, is hoping to see the number of vaccinated students rise. He also supports mandatory vaccinations for teachers, echoing recent sentiments from Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.
"I do think that the circumstances have changed and that vaccination is a community responsibility," Weingarten said.
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COVID and kids
COVID-19 infections among children are rising. That is why New York and New Jersey officials are urging parents to get their eligible children (age 12 and older) to get their shots.
Khakoo acknowledged that a lot of vaccine hesitancy stems from people being afraid of possible long-term effects from the vaccine. But she reminded us that mRNA shots are not actually new.
"They've been in existence for a while and they've been tested on other types of vaccines," Khakoo said. "The long-term effects of having a COVID infection are actually much worse than the effects of the vaccine."
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For students who may be unable to get to a vaccination site, anyone 12 and older in the city is now eligible for in-home vaccinations. You can make an appointment by calling 877-VAX-4NYC.
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