Citi Field opens for 'mass' vaccinations, but with far fewer doses than Yankee Stadium, because NYC

If this isn’t a metaphor for New York baseball I don’t know what is.

Today, Citi Field began vaccinating New Yorkers, but this 24 hour “mega site” will only inoculate 200 people a day through the end of the week. Yankee Stadium, which began vaccinations on Friday, administers 2,200 doses per day.

The Mets can never catch a break in this town.

In all seriousness, the discrepancy in supply isn’t surprising considering the Queens site is run by the City, which has fewer doses than the state-run venue at Yankee Stadium. But more will arrive in Flushing soon. According to NBC 4 New York, the ballpark is expected to receive 2,000 to 4,000 shots next week — still far less than the 15,000 per week in the Bronx.

Citi Field vaccinations are currently open to taxi drivers and food delivery workers from the five boroughs, but the City says it’s main focus is on Queens residents.

“Citi Field is focused on Queens residents,” New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, said before traveling to the vaccination site today. “No one bore the brunt more than Queens residents — Elmhurst and other neighborhoods.”

Pro sports stadiums across the country have already started to step up to the plate in vaccine distribution. In Major League Baseball, the Dodgers, Padres, Astros, and other ballclubs have turned their turf into mass inoculation sites. And seven NFL stadiums are currently offering shots as well. The Biden administration has also recently announced that they plan to accept Roger Goodell’s offer to use all 30 NFL stadiums for mass vaccination sites. 

While this piece of news will undoubtedly give New York sports fans another reason to poke fun at the city’s less popular and less relevant team, at least we can recognize that this publicly funded stadium is beginning to serve the public, which more should do.

Besides, a vaccination site at Citi Field gives the Mets their first easy win in years.