Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday it will “take a number of weeks” for New York City to begin vaccinating large swathes of 5-11 year-old residents, but that the question of when to begin checking their vaccination status is something the city needs to “focus on now.”
De Blasio was asked at a press conference when the city will begin to check vaccination cards for 5-11 year-olds who want to participate in certain indoor activities. New Yorkers aged 12 and up must present proof of vaccination to be at certain facilities in the city like restaurants, theaters and gyms.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio says he wants to require children ages 5-11 show proof of COVID vaccine to access businesses
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 9, 2021
“That’s a very good question, and honestly one we need to focus on now. We want to get to the day we actually could vaccinate the youngest New Yorkers and get that rolling,” de Blasio said. “It’s a great question Elizabeth and it’s one I don’t think we’re gonna settle immediately, because it will naturally take a number of weeks for that age group to get vaccinated.”
“But it’s a question we need to answer for the weeks ahead, and we’ll come back on that,” de Blasio added. (RELATED: Vaccinating Kids Isn’t The Way To End The Pandemic, Experts Say)
San Francisco recently became the first city in America to mandate vaccinations for certain indoor activities for kids aged 5-11. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently approved and recommended Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 5-11 under an emergency use authorization.