As of March 23, 14% of adults in New York City have been fully vaccinated. (Photo: CDC on Unsplash)
All New Yorkers 50 and up are not able to walk-in to any city-run COVID-19 vaccination site without an appointment. (Photo: CDC on Unsplash)

Opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in New York City increased yet again this week, as the city announced several new vaccination sites and opened six of its sites to walk-ins by anyone 50 or older.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the opening of more city-run sites across the city, including the American Museum of Natural History and JFK Terminal 5.  But the big news is that anyone 50 and older is now able to walk-in to any city-run site without an appointment.

In the Bronx specifically, there are six sites vaccinating New Yorkers 50+ without an appointment: South Bronx Educational Campus, Northeast Bronx YMCA, Bronx Co-Op City Dreiser Community Center, Bathgate Contract Postal Station, West Bronx Gymnasium and Lehman College – Apex Center. More information about these sites can be found here. 

Vaccination efforts are expansive — as of April 21, about 41% of people in New York have received at least one dose of the vaccine.  Still, figuring out how to get an appointment can be daunting, given the demand and variety of information.  To help, the Mott Haven Herald has compiled a list of resources and information.

Who is eligible:

All New Yorkers over the age of 16 are now eligible to receive a vaccine, but it should be noted that some vaccine sites are still only vaccinating certain populations. Most places, including mass vaccination sites like the Javits Center in Manhattan and the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx are only open to the residents of the borough in which they are located.

New Yorkers who are under the age of 18 will need to have a parent or guardian present when they get vaccinated. Youth are also only currently approved to receive the Pfizer vaccine so when booking an appointment, families should keep that in mind.

What you should bring: 

You’ll need to bring proof of eligibility meaning some sort of identification that shows age and New York residency to your vaccine appointment.

Accepted forms include:

  • Driver’s license or non-driver ID

  • State or government-issued birth certificate

  • Consulate ID

  • Current U.S. passport or valid foreign passport

  • Permanent resident cards

  • Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship

  • Life insurance policy with birthdate

  • Marriage certificate with birth date

Accepted forms proving work or employment in New York include:

  • Employee ID card

  • A letter from an employer

  • A pay stub

Please note, you don’t need to provide a social security number or proof of immigration status to get a vaccination.

How to find an appointment: 

NYC Vaccine List: Compiles a list of what locations currently have appointments but you’ll need to go to the site’s website to sign up.

Vax4NYC: The most comprehensive list of vaccination sites across the city, with links to locations and direct appointment scheduling, has been developed by New York City. There are well over a dozen locations listed in the South Bronx.  Enter your zip code in the upper right corner and a list of sites near you will show on the left, with links to schedule an appointment.

AmIEligible: Includes information and appointments for all state-run vaccine sites.

New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline: You can call the hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. any day of the week.

Pharmacies: Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid are all currently offering vaccinations in locations throughout the Bronx and the rest of the city.

 New Yorkers can book their appointment through the pharmacies’ respective websites.

Appointments can also be booked via phone at the following numbers:

  •  800-WALGREENs

  •  800-SHOP-CVS

  •  800-RITE-AID

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