- Title: 'America is free' - NYC kid crafters debate new vaccine mandate
- Date: 14th December 2021
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 13, 2021) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR "THE GIANT ROOM" / WORKSPACE AND PROJECTOR VARIOUS OF KIDS CRAFTING SIGN ON GROUND FOR "RAMI," NEW YORK FIRST GRADER, 6, RAMI ELWAKIL, (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK FIRST GRADER, 6, RAMI ELWAKIL, SAYING: "I don't think people should have a choice because you have to get it or else you won't, you'll g
- Embargoed: 28th December 2021 01:47
- Keywords: Bill de Blasio COVID-19 Eric Adams Manhattan The GIANT Room West Chelsea coronavirus kids vaccincation mandate
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001F7VDE87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As New York City expanded its array of COVID-19 mandates on Monday (December 13), setting vaccine requirements for children as young as 5 years old, kid crafters of Manhattan were largely on board, they said in interviews with Reuters.
The new expanded mandate also covers workers at all private-sector companies and comes as the highly transmissible Omicron variant pushes into more U.S. states.
The most-populous U.S. city set a Dec. 27 deadline for all 184,000 businesses within its limits to make their employees show proof they have been vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
In addition, children 5 to 11 years old must get at least one dose by Dec. 14 and those 12 and older need to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 27 to enter restaurants and participate in extracurricular school activities, such as sports, band and dances.
Children were processing the mandate as they partook in a class at the GIANT Room innovation hub in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
They drew, they played on their computers and echoed the range of views espoused by adult U.S. citizens.
"I don't think people should have a choice," New York first grader, six-year old, Rami Elwakil, told Reuters. "Or else... you'll get COVID and you won't be able to go anywhere."
Vaccination mandates are a divisive issue nationally, and some children at the Art and STEM studio expressed wariness over having their hand forced.
"America is free," New York third grader, nine-year old, Chloe Zhou-Donoue, told Reuters. "People should have a choice to get a shot or not."
De Blasio's successor, Eric Adams, will evaluate the mandate and other strategies to combat the pandemic when he takes office in January, his spokesperson, Evan Thies, said.
The mandate means that many young people, or their parents, will need to scramble to get a shot to keep eating out or participating in after-school activities. Only about 27% of New Yorkers ages 5 to 12 have taken at least one dose and just 15% are fully vaccinated, according to the city's website.
For adult New Yorkers, vaccination rates are much higher. About 89% have received at least one vaccine dose, topping the national rate of 83.5% reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Parents at GIANT were sure any risk was worth it, even for young children.
"I understand that kind of fear," people have, New York entrepreneur and mother, Cecil Sereigon, told Reuters. "But I think so far the vaccines have proven to be reliable. And what is worse, the risk to get your child sick, and your family and your friends get sick with COVID, or take a very calculated risk, get vaccinated and move on. End this pandemic."
(Production by: Dan Fastenberg, Roselle Chen and Hussein al Waaile) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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