Coronavirus 'Vaccine Hub' To Open In Central Harlem

HARLEM, NY — A public school in Central Harlem will soon become a coronavirus "vaccine hub" as the city tries to ramp up efforts to vaccinate eligible New Yorkers.

Wadleigh Campus/I.S. 88 at 215 West 114th St. is among a dozen sites across New York City that will start administering vaccines Friday, Jan. 15, to eligible health care workers, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

It will join another vaccine "mega-site" at La Marqueta in East Harlem, which will open on Sunday, Jan. 10, de Blasio said on Thursday.

"You're going to see a lot more like this — using public school buildings like this as hubs for the larger community," de Blasio said Monday. "This is a model to start getting to the grassroots where we can make so much impact."

The hubs are part of the city's plan to double its number of vaccine distribution sites from 125 to 250 and speed up New York City's vaccination rate, after the mayor pledged to administer 1 million doses by the end of January.

Just under 150,000 New Yorkers had gotten their first of two vaccine doses as of Thursday morning, according to city data.

Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said the new sites are intended to help the city reach health care workers who are newly eligible for the vaccine and may not have access to the vaccine through their employer, such as physical therapists, dentists and staff at specialty health clinics.

Eligible New Yorkers may schedule an appointment to get vaccinated on the NYC Department of Health website.

Patch reporter Maya Kaufman contributed.