Northeast Queens Finally Getting Vaccine Site, Lawmaker Says

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A permanent coronavirus vaccine site is finally coming to Northeast Queens, a City Councilmember announced Tuesday, months after lawmakers first raised alarms that the area had been left behind in the city's rollout.

The site will open Friday at Korean Community Services, at 203-05 32nd Ave. in Bayside, according to a spokesperson for Councilmember Paul Vallone. Vaccine appointments should be posted online by Thursday.

The site will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., administering about 160 doses per day, Vallone's office said.

Since January, lawmakers in Northeast Queens have complained that the area had become a vaccine desert despite its large population of seniors.

No city-run sites existed east of Flushing or north of Jamaica, forcing seniors in Eastern Queens to travel as far as the Javits Center, on the western edge of Manhattan, to get their shots.

A cohort of lawmakers penned a letter and held a press conference accusing Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration of leaving the area behind.

"This is a tremendous relief and victory for everyone in Northeast Queens and we thank the Mayor for getting this done," Vallone said in a statement. "Having KCS as our partner once again is a perfect location and provider to bring the life saving vaccine to our residents."

Eligible New Yorkers can book appointments online at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov.