72% Of NY Health Care Workers Received Coronavirus Vaccine

NEW YORK CITY — More than 70 percent of New York's doctors, nurses and other health care workers on the frontlines against COVID-19 have received the vaccine against the virus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Cuomo on Monday marked the vaccination milestone, which he said puts the state's health care workers past the point of herd immunity.

A week before, just 63 percent of health care workers were vaccinated, he said.

"One week later, we're at 72 percent," he said. "So, that is a huge improvement — 70 to 90 [percent] was the range for herd immunity, right? That was the goal for the vaccine."

But Cuomo said the state will continue to increase the vaccination rate among health care workers. He noted that several hospitals across the state fell far below the mark.

New York City's Health + Hospital's Harlem facility is at about 37 percent vaccinated, he said. By contrast, Woodhull Hospital in the same system is near 99 percent, he said.

"I understand again there will be a certain percent that refuses — fine, that's their right — but why do some hospitals have 100 [percent] and others have half that amount?" he said.