Vaccination rates for New York’s Bravest are moving upward at a strong clip 10 days after the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate took effect, the Mayor’s office reported Thursday.
The percentage of New York City firefighters who rolled up their sleeves to get at least the first dose of the serum jumped six points in the past week, from 79% on Nov. 3 to 85% on Nov. 10. The Mayor’s office noted the Nov. 10 number represents a seven-point jump since Nov. 1, the date the mandate began, and 27% since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Oct. 19 the requirement for all city employees.
The mandate garnered stiff opposition from various unions representing FDNY’s smoke-eaters including the Uniformed Firefighters Association, which argued that the policy violated the individual freedoms of its members. The Fire Department had to temporarily send a number of units out of service when the mandate started after scores of firefighters called out sick. The worker shortages were eventually resolved days later, and the FDNY is operating at full strength.