Senior centers in NYCHA vax plan

The city is planning to administer COVID-19 vaccines in senior centers at public housing buildings as part of an effort to vaccinate the elderly.

Starting this weekend, vaccination hubs will be open at the Polo Grounds Towers in Upper Manhattan, the Van Dyke Houses in Brooklyn and the Cassidy-Lafayette Houses on Staten Island — all of which have large populations of the elderly — with more sites expected to come.

“Older adults trust their senior centers and the dedicated staff at the senior centers within these NYCHA developments will be reaching out to older NYCHA residents 65+ to ensure they get vaccinated and have the assistance they need to do so,” city Aging Commissioner Lorraine CortésVázquez said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the city and state said vaccinations would be available to people age 65 and older, a move that came at the behest of the federal government.

It was the latest effort to make doses available to more and more members of the public after the initial vaccine rollout came under criticism as being too slow.

As of Thursday morning, over 300,000 doses have been given out, according to the city Health Department.

Amid reports that New Yorkers have been confused about how to get vaccinated, NYCHA is planning to spread the word through signs, robocalls and outreach to local leaders.

“By making the COVID-19 vaccine available to 65+ residents at specific NYCHA community and senior centers, we can ensure that residents in underserved neighborhoods have access to this life-saving resource,” NYCHA Chairman & CEO Gregory Russ said.