Op-Ed: What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

By DR. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

Recently, important updates about the COVID-19 vaccine were announced – that certain people are now eligible for a “booster” dose. Since the beginning of COVID-19, our scientific understanding of the virus has constantly evolved, and many New Yorkers understandably have questions about this new development. I would like to provide the “who, why, and where” about boosters. Who should get a booster? All three brands of booster shots are available for many New Yorkers — Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — and “mixing and matching” of the vaccines is safe. But who is eligible for a booster depends

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The live music was loud, the food was delicious, and the children couldn’t get enough cotton candy. The 20th Annual Fall Festival, organized by the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID), was back in full force on Saturday, Oct. 23. Jerome Avenue was closed for six hours from Gun Hill Road to East 208th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx to accommodate the vendors, volunteers, and community groups. Most of the tents set up at the festival were selling some type of goods or food, but not all. Brandon Montes, 30, is the founder

By DAVID GREENE

With roughly 8,486 people across the State waiting on an organ transplant, as reported, some will die before they receive one. In recognition of Organ Donor Enrollment Day in New York State on Oct. 7, we asked some residents if they were organ donors, and if not, if they would consider becoming donors. “I am an organ donor. I’ve been an organ donor for over 14 years now. I think if we can give the last gift of life, that’s the greatest gift to give. I think we should follow Spain’s direction where they actually have opt-out donors. You’re automatically

By ROBERT C. KOEHLER

Several million dollars’ worth of fiction exploded a few week ago, leaving cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, a wife and mom, dead, and plunging actor, Alec Baldwin, who accidentally shot her, into a state of unimaginable hell. This happened on Oct. 21, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the set of the movie Rust. Despite the enormity of coverage the incident has gotten, I remain bewitched with incredulity over one unanswered question. Baldwin, the star and one of the producers of the movie, a western, was practicing his gun draw, using a prop gun he’d been given — except the gun

By STEVE WALDMAN

The Senate is now deciding the fate of local news. As part of the Build Back Better Act, the Senate is, in the next few days, considering an important proposal: providing a payroll tax credit to local news organizations to retain or hire local journalists. Why? Local news is in a deep crisis. The Internet has fundamentally broken the business model of local newspapers. The number of reporters has dropped by more than half since 2000. There are at least 1,800 total “news deserts,” with no local newspapers at all, and thousands more have “ghost newspapers” that

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bedford Park residents have been getting more and more vocal about the unsightly, overflowing trash situation on Mosholu Parkway during their regular Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) meetings, as reported, but another issue which has also raised concern is the growing number of make-shift tents erected by homeless people along the parkway in recent weeks. As one resident, who went by the Twitter username, @maminature30, tweeted on Monday, Oct. 18, “@EricDinowitzNYC, @norwoodnews, @NYCDHS, @NYPD52Pct How long before the encampment at Moshulu Parkway becomes a tent city? It already doubled in size since last week. Somebody needs to intervene.”

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on what the Democrats should cut from the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill to get it over the line to satisfy Republicans. “Oh! Is that what they’re doing? No, I don’t think they should try and appease the Republicans. Well, they shouldn’t cut healthcare and they shouldn’t cut education. That’s a very hard decision. I know they have to vote on something. Kids need education because it’s bad out here. They need all the education they can get. Oh gosh, maybe the added healthcare for seniors is, maybe, the least important now.” Pamela

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the different COVID-19 vaccine mandates that are now in effect, and whether they agree with them. “Honestly, it’s really a mixed bag because vaccines do work to an extent, but then we have heard about those who have been vaccinated getting “break out” cases, but generally, those cases that have COVID, they don’t show symptoms. Yet, they’re still a health liability because they can still transmit [the virus]. Maybe they don’t. I just think, right now, with the misinformation going on, and the weaponization of information to make the vaccine

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers for their thoughts on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plans to curb misinformation on abortion, as announced on Sept. 13. “You know if women want to have that, they have the right to do that. I don’t agree with certain things, but I can’t comment on that really, you know what I’m saying? They should have the right to do it, but babies need to be born. Republicans always cry they’re pro-life when it comes to abortion, but it never comes up when you’re talking about gun control. Everybody has an opinion, but when babies