NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New York City is mobilizing to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to residents if they’re approved by the federal government in the coming days.
Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the “NYC Booster Shot Plan” at his daily briefing Thursday.
“The federal government is considering authorizing boosters on a large scale, and we need to be ready to move on that immediately,” the mayor said.
The U.S. already offers an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to people with severely weakened immune systems, but de Blasio said boosters could be approved for a larger share of the population as early as next week.
“We haven’t gotten a clear, formal indication from the federal government yet, but we are preparing on the assumption it could be as soon as next week,” the mayor said. “It’s going to be a really important moment to get additional protection to as many New Yorkers as possible.”
As part of the plan, the city will utilize 1,900 vaccination sites across the five boroughs, de Blasio said.
There will also be 25 city-sponsored sites staying open with extended hours to meet the anticipated surge in demand.
The city will engage in a booster shot outreach campaign to let people know they can schedule a shot or walk in at some locations. It will also hold weekend booster shot events.
De Blasio said texts and emails will be sent to eligible New Yorkers to let them know as soon as any detailed guidance is released.
Independent scientific committees of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are set to review evidence and offer recommendations on booster shots in the coming days.
The FDA committee is slated to meet Friday and the CDC committee is scheduled to meet on Sept. 22 and Sept. 23. Depending on their review, a booster for some New Yorkers who received the Pfizer vaccine could get the green light as soon as next week, according to Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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