Next Phase of People Getting Vaccine in New York

The next phase of people can start getting COVID-19 vaccines in New York.

Phase 1B:
-People age 75+
-Education workers
-First responders (police, fire)
-Public transit workers
-Public safety workers

Vaccinations will be made available at several places, including pharmacies, doctor's offices, Javits Center.

No word on when Phase 1C will begin vaccinating.

Phase 1C:
-People age 65-74
-Essential workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing, finance, information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, and public safety, and public health workers.

-People age 16-64 years with medical conditions

The general public probably won't be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine until mid-2021.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized applications for emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine has already been distributed to hospitals. Distribution of the Moderna vaccine began the week of December 21.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to have about 95% efficacy at preventing symptoms and decreasing severe COVID-19 infection.

Three other vaccines, from Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen and Novavax, are in Phase 3 trials and will will likely release the initial results from those trials in the next few weeks.

The vaccine will work for most people, but it will not work for everyone. Even after you are vaccinated, you will still need to practice important COVID-19 prevention steps, including staying home if sick, washing your hands, wearing a face covering and keeping physical distance from others.

Find out when you're eligible to receive a vaccination at NYC.gov.