The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, assured this Tuesday that the city was practically without vaccines against the coronavirus, thus suspended its plans to open stadiums during the immunization campaign and recommends not making big plans with many people until spring or summer.
De Blasio pointed out at a press conference that the city only has 7,700 doses of vaccines against the coronavirus and asked the federal authorities to use the doses reserved for the second dose, even at the risk that those vaccinated do not receive the required second injection in the expected time.
“We are stuck, we cannot carry out vaccinations because we do not have enough vaccines, “explained the mayor of New York, who was forced to cancel appointments to vaccinate and indefinitely suspend plans to enable the Yankees stadiums and Citi Field for a massive vaccination campaign. as there are no injections.
De Blasio said he has 100,000 reserved doses that are not being used and has asked federal authorities and the new administration of President Joe Biden for permission to release them.
The city council expects to receive some 107,000 doses of covid-19 vaccines between this Tuesday and Wednesday and to reschedule postponed vaccination appointments.
“Let’s use what we have right now, because we are already seeing efforts to improve production,” De Blasio said.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone receives their second dose, but we are experiencing a shortage (…) We do not live in a perfect world, we have a total shortage,” said the president, who recalled that the second dose can be delayed without lose effectiveness in immunizing against coronavirus.
De Blasio said that given the lack of progress in the vaccination campaign “I would not plan any wedding this spring” and we will have to wait until summer to see the effects of immunization on the evolution of the pandemic.
The administration of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the two authorized for the moment, is being slower than expected, both due to poor coordination between the federal government and states and due to difficulties in production.
Moderna indicated today that it is meeting the deadlines agreed to with the US Government and has already delivered 30 million doses and hopes to be able to send the 100 million committed doses before the end of March this year.
With information from EFE.
SRG
