NYC Opens Booster Shots to All Adults as Cases Tick Up

(Bloomberg) -- New York City is advising health care providers to allow all adults to get the Covid-19 booster shot as the city grapples with a rise in virus cases.

“Although hospitalizations remain low right now, we are seeing an uptick in cases in recent days,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi during a daily virus briefing. “Providers should not turn a patient away if they request a booster.”

People age 18 and over who got a Moderna or Pfizer dose at least six months ago or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago are eligible for the booster, Chokshi said.

“What we’re trying to clarify today is there should be no barriers to accessing a booster shot,” he said.

Over 630,000 New Yorkers have already received a booster shot. The percentage of positive cases on a seven-day-average rose to 1.66% on Saturday, up from 1.36% on Oct. 31, according to city data.

The city has also been encouraging children get vaccinated as the holidays approach and colder weather prompt more people to gather indoors. Since the city began offering Covid vaccines for kids ages five to 11 over a week ago, 62,000 doses have been administered, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. De Blasio had said there are 660,000 children in the age group in the city.

The share of New Yorkers ages 12 to 17 with at least one dose is 80%, while the rate for adults has reached 87%, de Blasio said.

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