Alternative COVID-19 vaccine rumors sparking frenzy in New York City

Rumors on social media of soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines up for grabs at the Brooklyn Army Terminal sparked a frenzy of people rushing to the site hoping to score a blow on Thursday night – before the city does come with a dose of reality.

Images and messages shared on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp claimed the Sunset Park vaccination site had “410+ doses” that were accessible to “anyone aged 18 and over in the community.”

The rush that followed led to City Hall sending workers there to disperse the crowds, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

“There is NO vaccine available for walk-in people. It was disinformation and the notification did not come from the New York government ”, press secretary Bill Neidhardt tweeted.

“We send people to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to ask people online to go home if they don’t have an appointment.”

When several people on the site replied that a line had been set up for walk-ins, Neidhart conceded “Every now and then there are vials with an extra dose or someone does not show up for their appointment, so the sites are ready to line up if that happens.”

Video clips of the scene posted on twitter Around 5:30 p.m., show a long line of people lining up on the sidewalks and cops marching amid the cars that filled the streets.

Shortly after 6 p.m., the Post found bumper-to-bumper traffic eight blocks both ways from the terminal and hundreds of people along Second Avenue.

Alexandra Frankel, 27, said she had been there “since 4:37 p.m. … and someone having to do with the site, she came over and said it was very reasonable that we were going to take our photos . “

At one point, Frankel said, several cops showed up and “said everyone had to go.”

Frankel said she stuck around and a security guard let 10 people, including her, through a door – only for the cops to push them all away.

“It’s frustrating because I was waiting in line for two hours and I don’t even know now if it’s legit,” she says.

Brooklyn writer Jessica Valenti also tweeted around 5:10 pm that she was “online with around 500 people lol”.

“As expected, they failed but it was worth a try!” she added about 25 minutes later.

Currently, only people aged 65 and over, healthcare workers, teachers, cops and other frontline workers are eligible to get vaccinated in New York State.