By Bob Cooley
Himanshu Patel receives his first of two shots, administered by nurse Jessica Amin, as Lenox Health Greenwich Village vaccinates its medical workers and staff prior to opening their new public vaccination unit. Photo by Bob Cooley.
“Tomorrow, I will lay out our vaccination plan to correct course and meet our goal of 100 million shots at the end of my first 100 days as president,” stated President-Elect Joe Biden in his January 14 address. Lenox Health Greenwich Village is racing to finish a new vaccination unit that will significantly aid in that national effort within our neighborhood.
The new 10,000 sq-ft. space will accommodate 20 nurses’ stations for simultaneously administering the vaccine and a 70-seat waiting/observation area for patients; it boasts an efficient check-in system, social distancing, multiple air exchanges, and HEPA filters. The unit is in the final stages of construction and should be complete by the third week of January.
Alex Hellinger, Executive Director of the Lenox Health Greenwich Village, is heading up the program and is optimistic about the progress being made on the new unit, planning to see it open to Village residents in the very near future.
“What’s important to us as at Lenox Health Greenwich Village, is that we take care of this community in anything and everything healthcare-related. Certainly, in a pandemic such as this, we are here to take care of our community.
Alex Hellinger, Executive Director of Lenox Health Greenwich Village is overseeing the project to significantly make the COVID-19 vaccine more readily available to the West Village and downtown Manhattan. Photo by Bob Cooley.
At this point, we’ve tested over 15,000 people for COVID. We are testing in our patient service center, we’re testing in the emergency department and we are working on being able to administer monoclonal antibody infusion therapy in the emergency department for infected patients.
With regards to the vaccines, once we’re up and running with our community vaccination center, we will have the ability to not only test, not only treat, but also administer the vaccines for prevention.
In my opinion, we need to do that. That’s the right thing to do.
We’re fortunate that we are part of Northwell Health and can leverage all of the vast resources of a large healthcare organization such as this with our President and CEO Michael Dowling at the helm, that believes in delivering the highest level and quality of care for our communities at all times.”
The West Village facility is currently vaccinating its staff and will start administering to the public as soon as possible. They will be listed on the NYC healthcare site as soon as they start taking appointments. See our resources section below.
Administering two-dose COVID-19 vaccinations to at least 75% of the US population (about 248,000,000 people) is the key to Herd Immunity and life starting to return to normal for all of us. Lenox Health Greenwich Village is racing to aid in that effort in our community, with a significant upgrade to their facilities.
As of January 14, 2021, 10.8 million doses of the vaccine have been administered across the US, with just above 762,600 people receiving the second dose to complete the vaccination schedule. Federal projections fell short of what was promised, but with a new administration in the White House, improved logistics, and multiple vaccines on the market, the hope is to make up for some time lost at the end of 2020.
The final stages of construction as Lenox Health Greenwich Village readies the 10,000 square foot vaccination unit at their facility at 30 7th Ave. LHGV hopes to start administering the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Photo by Bob Cooley.
Across the State of New York, 732,000 total doses have been administered, with 30,000 New Yorkers receiving the second dose.
In extensive testing, the current vaccines on the market (by Pfizer and Moderna) have shown to be 95%+ effective. According to the CDC and FDA, minimal side effects have been experienced by 2%-10% of recipients. Also, per the FDA, though there were less than a dozen instances of allergic reactions, the vaccine has been safely distributed to over 99.9% of patients without incident. If you have any questions about specific conditions or concerns you may have, or when you should get the vaccine, talk with your Doctor.
Local Resources:
- Lenox Health Greenwich Village – 30 7th Ave. (7th Ave and 12th St.)
- When can you get the vaccine (Lenox Health will be listed when available)
- When are you eligible to get the vaccine
- Keep up with the distribution of the vaccine
- Nationwide: https://tinyurl.com/distro-usa
- NY State: https://tinyurl.com/distro-nyc
Bob Cooley is a photojournalist and communications strategist who lives in the West Village. He’s spent over 30 years creating photography and stories for publications including LIFE Magazine, Forbes, The Economist, Sports Illustrated, The Associated Press, and many others. You can see more of Bob’s work at www.bobcooleyphoto.com and new photography daily on Instagram @bobcooley
This is great news for the community! Thank you for letting us know about a local place to get vaccinated.