Most NYC students have at least one COVID vaccine dose, with Manhattan students leading way

Nearly 60 percent of students ages 5 and up have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, with boys and girls from Manhattan leading the way, according to school officials.

Across the five boroughs, Manhattan currently has the highest student vaccination rate, at 72%. The student vaccination rate in Queens is 63%, followed by Brooklyn at 57%, the Bronx at 52% and Staten Island at 47%.

“New York City led the way in ensuring every adult in our buildings is vaccinated, mandating vaccinations for students participating in high-risk activities, and hosting clinics in schools where over 50,000 students received life-saving vaccines,” said Nathaniel Styer, a Department of Education spokesman.

“In the coming months, we are working with our partner health care agencies on an outreach campaign to encourage vaccination in the communities with the lowest rates.”

City health officials said families with children who are eligible but not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 can make an appointment for vaccination at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 311 to find a vaccine site.

The vaccine is free for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration or insurance status.

Manhattan’s Community School District 2, which covers most of lower Manhattan and the Upper East Side, had the highest student vaccination rate at 80%.

Brooklyn’s Community School District 23, with schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville and Ocean Hill, had the city’s worst student vaccination rate at 38%.

At nearly 250 of the city’s schools, fewer than a third of students have received at least one dose.

Starting Monday, students at New York City public schools will not be required to wear masks outdoors, but indoor mask mandates remain in place.