12 FEBRUARY 18, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
City must help residents avoid vaccine confusion
They came to Citi Field hoping
to get the “shot of life,” the
COVID-19 vaccine, to protect
them from potential suffering and
death.
But not everyone who arrived at
the home of the New York Mets on
the morning of Feb. 10 — opening
day for the vaccination hub — got
the protection for which they longed.
Apparently, they had been victims of
some bad information.
For whatever reason, a number
of people rejected for a shot at Citi
Field thought that merely showing
up would be enough. Not so. The Citi
Field vaccine site, reserved mostly
for Queens residents and essential
workers across the city, required
that a prior appointment be made
through the city’s online vaccine
hub.
It’s hard to say exactly how so
many became confused. But it seems
symptomatic of mixed or inadequate
messaging from the city that dozens
of people had come to the vaccine site
without getting the proper appointment,
and ultimately being turned
away.
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Elba Marchena argues to gain entry to Citi Field on the fi rst day of vaccinations on Wednesday, Feb. 10,
2021. Photo by Dean Moses
It may also offer some insight as
to the vaccine disparity in New York
City — the very thing Mayor Bill de
Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo
didn’t want to happen, and are now
scrambling to remedy.
And again, the disparity and the
confusion should never have materialized
to such an extent. Not when
all the major players involved had
months to put the infrastructure in
place for a relatively smooth vaccine
rollout.
Citi Field itself, billed as a mass
vaccination hub, is ramping up
slowly, with only a few hundred
appointments available at the start,
and open only 5 days a week, until
the city receives more supply.
We get that the vaccine supply
doesn’t nearly meet the present
demand. That’s not likely to change
until a third version of the vaccine,
likely Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose
shot, gets federal approval.
The city must do a far better job
directing people, in the meantime,
toward getting appointments.
All we can tell you, dear reader,
is how to get a vaccine appointment
now — and to help those you care
about get their appointments, too.
Seek out an appointment through
the online city or state vaccine hubs.
Follow the directions and answer all
the questions. Print out your vaccine
appointment ticket and get the confirmation
number.
If you can’t access the site or are
confused, please seek help from
someone you know.
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