Health & Fitness
Popular Grand Central, Penn Station Vaccine Sites Are Extended
After administering thousands of doses to Midtown commuters, the two walk-up vaccine sites will stay open through May 29, the MTA said.
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The MTA is extending its walk-up vaccine sites at Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station after the program administered thousands of doses in less than two weeks, the agency announced Saturday.
The two rail hub sites will remain open through May 29, past the original closure date of May 22, the MTA said.
Grand Central and Penn Station were among the 11 locations across the city, Long Island and the Hudson Valley where the MTA opened temporary, public COVID-19 vaccine sites on May 12.
Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Since then, more than 10,000 people have gotten shots at the sites, which included the Jamaica–179th Street Station in Queens and East 180th Street in the Bronx.
We’re extending our pop-up vaccination stops at Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station through next Saturday, May 29.
Get jabbed with us and you’ll get a free 7-day MetroCard or 2 one-way railroad tickets.
For site hours and more info, visit: https://t.co/U9VK6PbFPS
— MTA. Wear a Mask. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) May 22, 2021
The Penn Station site is open 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, in the 34th Street Long Island Rail Road corridor. The Grand Central site is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily in the Metro-North Terminal inside Vanderbilt Hall.
Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
On their first day alone, more than 1,100 people walked up and got vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot, the MTA told Gothamist. Each site can handle up to 300 walk-in appointments per day.
To sweeten the deal, the MTA is offering a free seven-day MetroCard or a round-trip LIRR or Metro-North ticket to those who take advantage.
"By bringing the vaccine to where people are passing by on their way to work, see friends, shop and visit reopened cultural attractions, it's made it possible for thousands who might not have otherwise been vaccinated to protect themselves and their families," MTA chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said in a statement.
As of Monday, 49 percent of New York City residents had gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, including 41 percent who were fully vaccinated.
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