Photo By Mark Getman | Cassie Huang, 28, of Manhattan, NY, speaks to New York Army National Col Michael Bice,...... read more read more
Subscribe
NEW YORK — The New York State mass vaccination site at Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, staffed by 600 New York National Guard members, put its 500,000th shot into a New Yorker’s arm on Tuesday, April 27.
Manhattan resident Cassie Huang, 28, got that shot from nurse Raquel Calderon and data entry technician Annette Melendez as National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on duty looked on.
“This is what we, as residents, should do,” Huang said. “I really appreciate this vaccination site and what the service members are doing here.”
“I feel excited about getting my shot and getting back to normal,” Huang said. “I am excited for New York City to be normal again.”
The Department of Health vaccination site at Javits, which opened on January 13 and is staffed by personnel from multiple state agencies, has administered more vaccines than any other location in the United States, according to state officials.
At one point the site administered 14,000 shots during a 24-hour period.
“Our mass vaccination sites have been critical in our efforts to vaccinate every single New Yorker, and the site at the Javits Center in New York City has hit a significant milestone of administering 500,000 shots - the highest number of any site in the nation,” New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said.
“The success of this site and the other sites across the state are proof that our efforts are working and getting us closer to defeating COVID once and for all and restoring a sense of normalcy,” Cuomo added.
New York Army National Guard Cpl. Christopher Moreno, a member of the 1569th Transportation Company who serves as a courier on the vaccine floor, played his part in the 500,000th shot by delivering the particular needle from the pharmacy to the vaccine station.
“Reaching this number helps to show people that the vaccine is safe and that the National Guard is working to help our communities get the shots,” Moreno said.
Moreno has been part of the New York National Guard’s COVID-19 response mission since March of 2020.
His original mission was to assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City in retrieving and transporting the remains of New Yorker who died during the pandemic.
Alan Steel, the chief executive officer of the Jacob Javits Convention center, said his staff of state employees took pride in seeing the 500,000th shot get delivered too.
"We have proven the efficiency and effectiveness of civilian, military and medical teams working together toward one common goal — to create a stronger and safer future for all New Yorkers," Steel said.
Col. Michael Bice, the commander of the Javits Task Force, said that hitting the half million vaccination milestone demonstrated the benefits of people from many agencies working together.
“When ordinary people do extraordinary things, milestones are reached,” said Bice, who was also in charge of operations at Javits when it was a field hospital in 2020.
“It’s amazing, knowing this facility is leading the way in winning the war against COVID and returning our state and country back to normalcy and back to the people” Bice said.
Army National Guard Spec. Li Ji contributed to this article
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2021 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 395159 |
| Location: | NEW YORK , NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 295 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NY National Guard helps hit 500,000 shot count at New York City vaccine site, by Mark Getman and Maj. Michael O'Hagan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Army National Guard
LEAVE A COMMENT