Hochul Won't Rule Out COVID Vax Mandate For Children

NEW YORK CITY — New York City students could face a state-imposed coronavirus vaccine mandate this school year if the pandemic worsens, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“If I start seeing infection rate going up, hospitalizations going up, more children being affected, I will have no choice,” she said Wednesday.

Hochul made her comments during a briefing on the state's preparations for anticipated federal approval of Pfizer vaccine shots for children between 5 and 11 years old.

An FDA panel Tuesday OK'd the Pfizer vaccine for those kids, leaving only one step — CDC approval, expected next week — to go before doses start rolling out.

New York City has 231,000 doses pre-ordered for that age group, according to state data.

And city officials have been preparing to give out vaccine doses those youngsters. Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner, said he expects it'll start sometime after next week.

"But regardless of the precise date we have been and will continue to prepare between now and then to make sure that, as the Mayor said, all of our sites will be ready," he said Tuesday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has pushed for federal approval to vaccinate 5- to 11-year-olds. But he has been decidedly less enthusiastic to imposing a mandate for eligible students — who would be, assuming approval is granted, age 5 and up.

Doing so would deprive many students a chance to be in classrooms for no fault of their own, he said.

"We can't, in my opinion, hold against our kids the decisions of adults because the kids can't get vaccinated without the adult consent," he said.

Eric Adams, the Democratic mayoral nominee widely believed to be the front-runner to replace de Blasio, by contrast has said he supports a student vaccine mandate.

Hochul's stance Wednesday leaves open the potential that the state, not the city, could impose a strict mandate before the next school year.

“I’m willing to make decisions even sooner, should the need arise," she said