New York City will provide in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to “anyone who wants one,” Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday in a new strategy to battle the pandemic.
The move constitutes the latest push to make immunization more convenient as the highly contagious Delta variant becomes more prevalent across the United States, including the State of New York.
“In-home COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to all New Yorkers ages 12 and older,” said a notice from the city issued Wednesday.
New York City residents interested in an in-home vaccination are urged to click here, or call 1-877-829-4692.
White House Coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a news briefing on Wednesday that the Delta variant presents the “greatest threat” to America’s efforts to eliminate COVID-19.
The variant, first identified in India, currently accounts for 20 percent of new cases across the United States, Fauci said, adding that he expects the mutation to be the dominant COVID-19 variant in a few short weeks.
“It just exploded in the UK,” Fauci told NBC’s ‘Today Show’. “It went from a minor variant to now more than 90 percent of the isolates in the UK.”
At present the Delta variant has a doubling time of about two weeks, Fauci said. “That’s the sobering news.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the Delta variant has been found in at least 92 countries around the world.
The variant, which is high lethal, is considered the fastest mutation in existence. It has the potential “to be more lethal because it’s more efficient in the way it transmits between humans,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program, in a briefing on Monday.
“It will eventually find those vulnerable individuals who will become severely ill, have to be hospitalized and potentially die,” he said.