If you couldn’t get a vaccine appointment during the day, you may have some luck at 2 or 3 a.m. instead.
Governor Cuomo just announced that three mass vaccination sites — two in NYC — will be opening for overnight hours (and operating 24/7) beginning this Thursday, March 4 (Yankee Stadium) and Friday, March 5 (Javits Center).
It’s all part of a pilot program to distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — which was just authorized for emergency use by the F.D.A. this weekend and only requires one dose — as quickly as possible.
A press release states that New York expects to receive about 164,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week, with its second allocation from the federal government arriving 10 days later.
“The White House has made great process securing additional Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and New York State will receive a large initial allocation of them to be administered over the next week,” Governor Cuomo said. “There will then be a lag in Johnson & Johnson production until it ticks up again roughly two weeks later. This pilot plan will maximize the initial doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and get as many shots in arms as possible.”
It will not interfere with the ongoing administering of the Pfizer vaccine at those locations, which requires two doses and largely takes place during the day. Instead, the J&J pilot program will take place between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. (Yankee Stadium) & 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Javits).
Appointments for Yankee Stadium (only available to Bronx residents), will open at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 3. Make them at Somosvaccinations.com or by calling 1-833-SomosNY.
Appointments for the Javits Center in Brooklyn will go live at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 4. Make them by visiting New York’s ‘Am I Eligible’ website or calling the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
featured image source: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo