City opens vaccine center at Queens Center Mall
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 16-APRIL 22, 2021 23
tion location as well, and,
I, along with several of my
government colleagues,
are continuing to call for
a site in the western portion
of my district, and
we will continue to push
for that to happen and
work with the city and
state on this effort,” Meng
said. “As I have said, everybody
deserves easy
access to the vaccine, and
that includes all of my
constituents.”
Holden, who has
been pushing for more
vaccine access in the
Council’s 30th District,
said the new site at the
mall is a “big step in the
right direction,” but it’s
not enough.
“It should not have
taken this long or required
every local elected
official in the area to
ask for it. We have a large
population of seniors and
immigrants, combined
with a lack of public
transportation. We need
more sites,” Holden said.
“It’s still too difficult for
some of our constituents
in the southern part of
the district. City Hall
must not short change
our neighborhoods.”
Reach reporter
Angélica Acevedo by
e-mail at aacevedo@
schnepsmedia.com
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
A new vaccine site
opened at the Queens
Center Mall on Monday,
April 12, as local elected
officials continue call
for more sites in certain
neighborhoods they say
are lacking vaccine accessibility
in central
Queens.
The city-run site is
located at the former
Modell’s location at 58-56
92nd St. in Elmhurst, according
to the city’s vaccine
finder site. It will
be open to the general
public Monday through
Saturday, from 8 a.m. to
7 p.m.
The site was originally
set to administer
the Johnson & Johnson
vaccine, but the city
has stopped administering
the shot as of
Tuesday, April 13, in
accordance to CDC and
federal guidelines. A city
spokesperson said they
are working to reschedule
appointments to offer
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines
to the best of their
ability instead.
All New York adults
are now eligible for the
vaccine, and can search
for appointments by calling
877-829-4692 or by
visiting www.nyc.gov/
VaccineFinder.
On Monday afternoon,
the site appeared
to have a steady yet relatively
slow stream of people
waiting to get their
vaccine.
The new site comes as
Congresswoman Grace
Meng, along with multiple
local lawmakers,
wrote a letter to Gov.
Andrew Cuomo and
Mayor Bill de Blasio urging
them to establish a
mass vaccination site
that would specifically
serve Middle Village,
Maspeth, Glendale, and
parts of Ridgewood and
Woodhaven.
“We have heard from
many local stakeholders
regarding vaccine access
issues for communities
west of Woodhaven Boulevard,”
the letter read.
“Due to the limited number
of vaccination sites
in this area, we are urging
your office to establish
a mass vaccination
site in this underrepresented
region of Queens
County.”
State Senator Joseph
P. Addabbo, Jr., Assembly
members Catherine
Nolan, Jenifer Rajkumar
and Brian Barnwell,
and Councilman Robert
Holden all signed on to
the letter.
In response to the
lawmaker’s calls, Avery
Cohen, a spokesperson at
the mayor’s office, said
the city is working to get
shots in arms.
“With more sites
opening every day, we’re
doing all we can to vaccinate
our Queens neighbors
as quickly as possible,”
Cohen said. “From
pop-up sites to vaccinations
for homebound
New Yorkers, we will not
stop until there is a shot
in the arm of every person
across our city.”
As of Monday, 34 percent
of Queens residents
have received at least
one vaccine compared to
33 percent of city’s total
population, according to
city data. City officials
pointed to Middle Village’s
34 percent vaccination
rate for at least one
dose, which is above the
citywide average, and
noted there are upwards
of 12 sites in the area.
Maspeth, Glendale,
parts of Ridgewood and
Woodhaven also currently
have vaccination
rates above the citywide
average, according to
the latest city data. However,
those neighborhoods’
rates are much
lower when compared to
some parts of northeastern
and northwestern
Queens, where elected
officials have fought to
get more vaccine sites.
Meng, who represents
Congressional District 6,
said she was pleased to
learn about the new site
at Queens Center Mall,
thanking the mayor and
the city for setting it up.
But she said there is still
a need for more locations.
“Other communities
in my congressional district
still need a vaccina-
HEALTH
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