Upper Manhattan To Get Pop-Up Vaccine Sites By Columbia

HARLEM, NY — A pop-up vaccine clinic sponsored by Columbia University gave hundreds of Upper Manhattan residents their shots last weekend, and will be followed by more clinics in the coming weeks.

The first clinic was held last weekend at The Forum, part of Columbia's new West Harlem campus. It administered 500 Pfizer vaccines to residents of Harlem, Morningside Heights and Washington Heights, the university said.

It will be open again April 18 and 19 at the same site, 625 West 125th St. (just off Broadway), with more sites each weekend until the end of May. Anyone age 16 or older can call 212-864-6200 for an appointment, email gormant@nyassembly.gov, or simply walk in.

This weekend (4/17-18), the vax site at @Columbia Forum (625 W. 125th St.) returns. The site is open Sat and Sun, 10 am - 4 pm. Call 212-864-6200 for an appointment or just walk in (open to those 16+). I visited the Forum site last weekend, It’s a great operation! pic.twitter.com/RKusD2XGm7
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) April 15, 2021

The clinics will cater to Upper Manhattan residents amid complaints that the area has been underserved in the city's vaccine rollout despite being hit hard by COVID-19.

City data has shown Harlem lagging in vaccine rates compared to other neighborhoods, even as coronavirus rates remain high. Black, Latino and Asian residents are also getting their shots at lower rates than whites.

"This Pop-Up site is the culmination of our efforts to listen to local community leaders and address the need to increase access to the vaccine in the neighborhoods surrounding our university," Dr. Rafael Lantigua, a special advisor at Columbia's Irving Medical Center, told a university publication.

Columbia's sites were organized in part by community leaders including Assemblymember Daniel O'Donnell, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Mark Levine.

"Community based sites are highly effective in distributing vaccines to New Yorkers," O'Donnell said in a statement. "This site will fill an overwhelming community need and bring us closer to ensuring that every New Yorker is protected from the ongoing pandemic."

Related coverage: Harlem's Vaccine Rates Below Average As Virus Holds Steady