New York City Vaccinates Teens at High Rates, as Creative Incentives and Approaches Continue

By Yehudit Garmaise

     New York City is leading the nation in vaccinating 12 to 17-year-olds, new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows.

     “More than 60% of New Yorkers who are older than 12 have received at least one dose,” Mayor Bill de Blasio proudly announced this morning at his press conference. “Our vaccination rate for these young people is 9% higher than the national average.”

     “Here is the good news,” the mayor said. “We have an aggressive, creative vaccination strategy, and it is working.

     Not only is New York City leading the way in getting teens protected from COVID, but since July 4, the vaccination rate for New Yorkers who are 12 to 17-years-old: is up by 22%, while the vaccination rates of other ages lagged.

     “That is the biggest big jump for any city in America,” said the mayor, in speaking about the city’s large increase in vaccinating teens.

     “We are not going to stop there, and we have a big push this weekend,” said the mayor, as he described vaccination buses that provide kid-friendly incentives, such as comic books and video games to be given out and raffled off, thanks to the participation of the Boys and Girls Club and Microsoft.

    In referring to the comic book: the Avengers, which will be given out to teens who step up to get their shots, the mayor said, “Avengers fight back against evil, and evil is COVID.

     “Here is a great example of our effort to reach our young people, to get people safe, to get people vaccinated."

.(Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)