Weprin Calls for City to Use Senior Centers as Vaccination Sites
Queens, NY – Assemblyman David Weprin (D-24th A.D.) is calling on the city to allow senior centers to become senior vaccination sites. According to the Center for Disease Control, the risk of severe illness or hospitalization due to COVID-19 increases with age. Per the CDC vaccination recommendations, Weprin is urging the city to open centers – first for seniors 75 or older to be vaccinated for COVID-19, then for those 65 and older. As a longtime advocate for senior issues, Assembly Weprin will fight to make sure the process of vaccinating our seniors is safe, efficient and accessible.
“I call on the Department of Aging and New York City to make use of our closed senior centers as vaccination sites for seniors” said Assemblyman David Weprin. “There are more than 250 senior centers and affiliated sites throughout N.Y.C. Senior centers are accessible and centrally located. It makes sense to use these familiar sites for our seniors during the process of administering the COVID-19 vaccination.”
“I fully believe that senior citizens should be able to go to senior centers to be vaccinated,” said community civic leader and senior advocate Warren Schreiber. Schreiber, who is a founding member of the President's Co-op & Condo Council added, “I'm very happy to see that Assemblyman Weprin supports this and is leading the way. I commend him for his support for seniors.”
“Seniors are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 and must be a priority for the city to get the vaccine. Allowing senior centers to be open for vaccinations makes total sense. They are places with enough room and places that seniors are often familiar with. I strongly support Assemblyman Weprin’s advocacy,” stated Kevin Forrestal, President of the Queens Civic Congress.
Assembly Member David Weprin has devoted his life to public service. He has fought to provide affordable health care to seniors. In 2001, he was elected to the New York City Council to represent the 23rd District of Queens. As Council Member he served as Chairman of the Finance Committee. In 2010, David Weprin was elected to the New York State Assembly to represent the 24th District of Queens. During his time as an Assembly Member, David Weprin was named Chair of Committee on Correction (2017 to present) and Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities (2014 - 2016).