N.Y. Today: Younger Teens Get Their First Shots

What you need to know for Friday and the weekend.

First Shots for a Younger Set of New Yorkers

By Amanda Rosa

Fellow, Metro

It's Friday.

Weather: Mostly sunny today, rising to the mid-70s. Over the weekend it'll stay warm, with a few more clouds and the chance of afternoon showers.

Alternate-side parking: Suspended today and tomorrow for Eid al-Fitr.

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Julian Boyce, 14, at Harlem Hospital Center.James Estrin/The New York Times

For months, New York City's younger children have been waiting in the wings as adults and some teenagers got vaccinated against Covid-19. As of Thursday, 12- to 15-year-olds were next in line for their shots.

Young people across the country were offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend it for use in children ages 12 to 15 on Wednesday.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio encouraged parents to get their children, members of Generation Z, vaccinated to protect their families.

"Parents, let's get our 'Zoomers' off of Zoom and back to life as normal," the mayor said.

My colleague Joseph Goldstein spoke with young people in the city as they got their first doses. Here's what they had to say:

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Julian Boyce, 14, was among the first to get vaccinated in Harlem on Thursday.

Julian's parents wasted no time in getting him vaccinated. They quickly brought him to Harlem Hospital Center, where his father is an administrator, for his first dose.

His family knew about 20 people who had died from Covid-19, including two people in their apartment building and church members.

Julian, an eighth grader, texted his friends: "I just got my vaccine."

In Brooklyn, a seventh grader got a surprise vaccination.

Berrit Nordlander-Borowski had been looking forward to getting vaccinated, but said she didn't feel the need to get it immediately. Her mother, Betsy Nordlander, had other plans. She booked an appointment Wednesday night.

"I surprised her," Ms. Nordlander said. "She woke up this morning to hear, 'Guess what?'"

Berrit said she's excited to hang out again with her friends, though she has enjoyed remote learning. Now, Berrit's sister, the 9½-year-old Astrid, is the only unvaccinated family member.

"I feel kind of left out, but I know that soon enough I will probably be able to get the vaccine," Astrid said. "But I wish I could have it now."

Teenagers in the Bronx encouraged their friends to get vaccinated.

Zenaida Hill and her teenage daughters, Maya and Loida, said they have plenty of plans to look forward to after getting vaccinated, like a family reunion and spending more time outside. Maya, 15, was so eager that she booked the appointment herself.

After she got her shot, Maya messaged her friends encouraging them to get vaccinated. Loida, 13, said she was happy to be able to start the ninth grade in person this fall.

"I'll tell generations after me how we got through this," Loida said, "and that many people got the vaccine and we were able to overcome Covid-19.

From The Times

The Mini Crossword: Here is today's puzzle.

What we're reading

A Queens man accused of attacking a father and son over a minor fender-bender was arrested. [Daily News]

Yankee Stadium and Citi Field have divided the seating for vaccinated and unvaccinated baseball fans. [Gothamist]

A Jersey Shore nightclub is offering free VIP passes to people who got vaccinated there to party all summer long. [NBC]

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And finally: Your virtual social weekend

The Times's Melissa Guerrero writes:

Although many performance spaces, museums and community centers are closed, people are finding creative ways to connect through virtual events and programs. Here are suggestions for maintaining a New York social life this weekend while keeping a safe distance from other people.

Webinar: 'The Historic Women-Only Institutions of the Upper East Side'

On Friday at 5:30 p.m., learn about the women-only institutions in the 20th century, from private clubs to public universities, on the Upper East Side.

Purchase a ticket ($10) on the event page.

Conversation and Workshop: 'The African Lookbook'

Join a discussion about "The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women" with the author Catherine McKinley, alongside other multidisciplinary artists, on Saturday at 12 p.m. A workshop by the artist and educator Jazmine Hayes, inspired by the book, will follow.

Register for free on the event page.

'Landmarks and Legends of Broadway'

On Saturday at 8 p.m., explore Broadway history with a look at landmark theaters, ghost stories, trivia and more, presented by the New-York Historical Society.

Purchase a ticket ($20) on the event page.

It's Friday — Get creative.

Metropolitan Diary: What's the count?

Dear Diary:

I was walking home through Central Park when I decided to stop and sit on a bench near the Balto statue and do some late-afternoon people watching.

I soon became aware of a loud voice coming from a grassy hill just over my shoulder. At first I thought it was someone making a speech, but I gradually realized it was someone announcing an imaginary baseball game.

I turned slightly and saw a young man pantomiming pitching from a mound. After each pitch, he announced the count. By now, the bases were loaded.

Strike 1.

Ball 1.

Ball 2.

Strike 2.

A small crowd had gathered, attracted by the young man's energetic performance.

Ball 3. The suspense was growing.

The pitcher wound up for the next critical pitch, released the make-believe ball and paused.

He stood for a moment before making the triumphant announcement: Strike 3. He had won the game.

The crowd burst into applause.

— Susan Englar

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