If Cuomo, de Blasio can’t get together on coronavirus vaccines, what good are they to us? (opinion) Updated Jan 06, 2021; Facebook Share STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – New York has been woefully slow in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. The stakes couldn’t be higher. The vaccine is supposed to win the war against coronavirus and let us return to normal life. It’s what we’ve all been looking forward to for months. So why has New York been so slow to get the vaccine into people’s arms? Depends on whom you ask. According to city stats, New York City has received 480,000 doses of the vaccine as of Tuesday evening. But just 118,000 people have received the first dose of the vaccine. A paltry 756 have gotten both necessary shots.