Coronavirus Vaccinations In NYC Crater Even With Incentives

NEW YORK CITY — Daily vaccinations against the coronavirus reached their lowest point in months even as city officials dangle more incentives to entice hesitant New Yorkers to get shots.

One of Mayor Bill de Blasio's latest incentive offers — 20 two-day "staycation" packages — was unveiled a day after a scant 10,000 doses were administered, data shows.

Granted, that low came on Memorial Day, but the average number of doses given out in New York City has slipped to roughly 28,000 a day, according to data. The average was 50,000 about two weeks before.

De Blasio, when questioned about the vaccination free fall by Bloomberg reporter Henry Goldman, said it doesn't make sense to compare the current pace to the effort's peak.

"I think the question is, are we continuing to make progress?" de Blasio said Tuesday. "So, as of today, 4.3 million folks have had at least one dose. That's now over half the population of the city. And we know that when people have at least one dose, they overwhelmingly come back and get the second."

About 8.34 million vaccine doses have been administered so far in the city, as of Wednesday. And roughly 63 percent of adults in the city have received at least one dose, according to data.

The slowing pace for adults could indicate the city is reaching the limit of people willing to get the vaccine. Youths between 12 and 17 — who only recently became eligible — could be a different story.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state considers vaccinating 12- to 17-year-olds a priority, given that only 9.5 percent of that group has received a shot. He set up a full-tuition scholarship raffle for youths who get their first dose and, on Wednesday, announced the first 10 winners — including three from New York City.

Likewise, de Blasio said about 118,000 youths, or 23 percent of New Yorkers that age, have so far received at least one dose of vaccine.

He said the city will shift more resources toward vaccinating youngsters, including in schools.

The city launched its "NYC Youth Vax Week" on Tuesday — an effort that will bring mobile vaccine buses to neighborhoods across the city to get kids vaccinated.

Beyond that, the city has a weekly contest for adults who get shots at city-run vaccination sites. This week, it's the "staycation" packages that de Blasio outlined.