Kids & Family
Vaccine Rates For NYC Kids Plunge Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Mayor
"The sheer magnitude has become clear to us in the last few days," said de Blasio. "What we found was quite shocking and troubling."
NEW YORK CITY — New York City kids aren't getting vaccinated amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a "very worried" Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Child vaccination rates plummeted 63 percent as COVID-19 spread across New York City and a stay-at-home rule ordered all but essential workers home.
“The sheer magnitude has become clear to us in the last few days,” said de Blasio. "What we found was quite shocking and troubling."
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Between March 23 and May 9, vaccinations for children under the age of 2 decreased 42 percent and by 91 percent for older children, according to the mayor.
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Doctors administered fewer than 150,000 doses during that six week time period, less than half the approximately 400,000 given out during the same period in 2019, de Blasio said.
This drop in vaccinations could further the spread of COVID-19 by leaving children more vulnerable to serious illnesses that could lead to hospitalization and an increased risk of catching the deadly virus.
“We don’t want to see any of that happen to any child,” he said. “Now is the time to get your child vaccinated.”
De Blasio opined that fear is the major factor spurring the drop in vaccinations, with parents afraid to go to health care facilities that have remained open during the pandemic.
Free vaccinations are available at more than 1,000 health care centers through New York City's Vaccines for Children Program and its public hospitals, the mayor said.
Parents can make an appointment for their child to receive a free vaccine by calling (844) NYC-4NYC.
"This is for your child and for everyone," he said. "Let's protect our kids and protect each other by making sure all our children our vaccinated."
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