Variants still cause for concern

As more New Yorkers on Wednesday became eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, city health officials were keeping an eye on variants of the virus that appear to be more infectious.

Out of the latest COVID samples analyzed by the city, just over half were found to be variants, the officials said at a press conference with Mayor de Blasio.

One of those variants, believed to have originated in the city, accounted for about 39% of cases analyzed in the latest week for which officials had data, according to Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Choksh i. That variant is known by the code “B.1.526.”

“The increasing prevalence suggests the B.1.526 variant is a more infectious variant,” warned Chokshi.

In recent weeks, some authorities have described vaccination efforts as a race to achieve herd immunity — defined by the World Health Organization as “the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population s immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous nfection” — before the virus urther mutates.

As of Wednesday, 2,442,892 vaccines had been administered in the city, according to de Blasio. He’s promised to oversee 5 million vaccinations by June.

On Wednesday, people age 60 and older became eligible for vaccines. The previous threshold was 65. Pharmacies will be allowed to give shots to people who meet the new age requirement, along with teachers.

First responders, health care workers, educators, people with underlying health conditions and those who meet a variety of other criteria are also eligible for vaccines, regardless of their age.

The state has determined eligibility criteria to date, a subject of frequent criticism from de Blasio.