The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" Kathy Hochul stated on February 27, 2022 in a news conference: “We are No. 1 among all large states in having fully vaccinated teenagers. We are No. 2 in all large states for having fully vaccinated five- to 11- year- olds.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" true/3d4df195c595a07e3fd69b5e4aab3e3c.jpg.\\") ![\\"true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Public Health * New York * Coronavirus * Kathy Hochul ![\\"Gov.](\\" Gov. Kathy Hochul announces that a mask mandate for students will be lifted during a briefing in the State Capitol on Feb. 27, 2022. (Gov. Kathy Hochul\'s office.) ![\\"Jill](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos March 11, 2022 # New York a leader in vaccines for young people among large states #### If Your Time is short * Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services back up Hochul\'s claim. * New York is a leader among large states, though there are smaller states that have higher vaccination rates among children. See the sources for this fact-check Gov. Kathy Hochul cited rates of vaccination against Covid-19 to support her decision to drop the mask mandate in schools. She announced at a news conference on Feb. 27 that the state would lift the statewide mask mandate for children in school. \"We are No. 1 among all large states in having fully vaccinated teenagers. We are No. 2 in all large states for having fully vaccinated 5- to 11-year olds. We\'re just a little bit behind Illinois, so I think we can surpass this. We\'d like to be No. 1 in everything we do.\" We checked to see if her claims about the vaccination rates among children in New York State, relative to other large states, are accurate. We reached out to Hochul’s office, and spokesperson Bryan Lesswing said the governor’s office considered the 10 most populated states in its analysis: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan. Hochul’s administration looked at the number of vaccines administered by the states for each age group, using U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, and the total population in each age group to reach its conclusion. A slide deck from her presentation on the day she announced the end of the mask mandate provided a chart showing large states and rates of full vaccination among young people. We consulted data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which issues Covid-19 reports for each state. A report from Feb. 25 showed that 33.5% of children ages 5 to 11 and 71.2% of children ages 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated in New York State. Among large states, Illinois had a greater share of children ages 5 to 11 who were fully vaccinated, at 34.8%. Among children ages 12 to 17 in large states, New York had the largest share. An analysis of vaccination rates from the American Academy of Pediatrics, published on Feb. 23, showed the same results as Hochul presented. In the 10 largest states, New York has the second-highest rate of vaccination in children ages 5 to 11, after Illinois, when children who have had at least one dose of the vaccine are counted. Forty-one percent of children in this age group have had at least one dose in New York. The figure is 42% in Illinois. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Jeffrey Barke stated on August 23, 2024 in an Instagram post Food and Drug Administration approval for updated COVID-19 vaccines requires a public health emergency declaration. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • August 27, 2024 Among large states, New York has the highest percentage of children ages 12 to 17 who have received at least one dose, according to the pediatricians’ group. Eighty-two percent of students in this group have received at least one dose, edging out California, which has 81%. Hochul correctly characterized New York’s vaccination rates among large states in three Covid briefings during February. But she did not do so twice in local news interviews. In two television interviews on Feb. 28, Hochul did not include \"among large states\" as a qualifier. Across the country, there are 10 states and the District of Columbia with higher rates of vaccination among children ages five to 11 who have had at least one dose, according to the analysis of CDC data from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The 10 states are: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Virginia, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Illinois. For children ages 12 to 17, a larger proportion had at least one dose in six states and the District of Columbia. The states are: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, according to the same analysis. Our ruling Hochul said New York State ranked No. 1 one among large states in having fully vaccinated teenagers and No. 2 among large states for having fully vaccinated 5 to 11 year olds. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms Hochul’s statement. Hochul qualified her claim by saying \"large states\" in a news conference she held to announce the lifting of mask mandates in schools. This qualification is important, as New York does not lead the country in vaccinations among children and teenagers when all 50 states are considered. We rate this claim True. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources New York State Office of the Governor, \"Video, Audio, Photos, & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State\'s Progress Combating COVID-19,\" Feb. 27, 2022. Accessed March 3, 2022. Census.gov, table, \"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021.\" Accessed March 3, 2022. World Population Review, \"US States, Ranked By Population - 2022.\" Accessed March 3, 2022. New York State Office of the Governor, news release, \"Governor Hochul Announces Plan to End State Mask Requirement in Schools Starting March 2,\" Feb. 27, 2022. Accessed March 3, 2022. New York State Office of the Governor, \"Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul is a Guest on PIX11,\" Feb. 28, 2022. Accessed March 3, 2022. New York State Office of the Governor, \"Audio, Video, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Hosts Media Availability Following Cabinet Meeting,\" Feb. 15, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2022. News12, \"The New Normal: What\'s next for mask mandates in schools? News 12 discusses with NY Gov. Hochul,\" Feb. 28, 2022. Accessed March 3, 2022. New York State Office of the Governor, news release, \"Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Directs State Agencies to Prepare Emergency Response Assets as Statewide Winter Weather System Expected to Bring Heavy Snowfall Through Friday,\" Feb. 24, 2022. Accessed March 3, 2022. New York State Office of the Governor, slide deck, \"New York State COVID-19 Update, Feb. 27, 2022.\" Accessed March 3, 2022. Email, Bryan Lesswing, spokesperson, Gov. Kathy Hochul, March 3, 2022. American Academy of Pediatrics, \"Children and COVID-19 Vaccination Trends, AAP Analysis of Data Posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of February 23, 2022.\" Accessed March 3, 2022. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID Data Tracker, \"COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States,\" Data as of March 3, 2022. Accessed March 4, 2022. U.S. Census, State Population by Characteristics: 2010-2020, table, \"Single Year of Age and Sex for the Civilian Population,\" 2020\. Accessed March 4, 2022. The New York Times, data visualization, \"See How Vaccinations Are Going in Your County and State,\" updated March 4, 2022. Accessed March 6, 2022. HealthData.gov, \"COVID-19 State Profile Report - New York,\" Feb. 25, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2022. ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Jill Terreri Ramos slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Elise Stefanik stated on February 9, 2023 in a Tweet: 53% of Americans made aware of the Hunter Biden laptop story would have changed their vote in 2020. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 25, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robert Ortt stated on January 20, 2023 in in a news conference: If New York’s proposed limits on natural gas in buildings take effect, the grid today can’t handle the increased electric load. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Eric Adams stated on January 7, 2023 in a radio interview: “Fifty-one percent of our taxes are paid by 2% of New Yorkers.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • January 24, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Claudia Tenney stated on July 3, 2024 in a social media post: Biden Executive Order 14019 “requires our taxpayer-funded federal agencies to violate the Hatch Act and engage in illegal vote harvesting.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • August 2, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ritchie Torres stated on May 23, 2024 in a television interview: “The loss of SALT deductibility cost our state $15 billion in revenue. So New Yorkers are paying more in taxes and receiving fewer services because of Donald Trump.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • June 21, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kathy Hochul stated on February 22, 2024 in an interview: In New York, there are no barriers to law enforcement to work with the federal government on immigration laws, and there are 100 crimes where migrants can be handed over. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • March 29, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Elise Stefanik stated on January 28, 2024 in a television interview: “We’ve seen an 800% increase in the Swanton sector, which is the part of the northern border that I represent, in illegal crossings.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 23, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Nick LaLota stated on November 18, 2023 in a social media post: Under New York’s Clean Slate Act “violent crimes … will now be automatically sealed after a set time - like they never happened.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • January 1, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" New York Citizens Audit stated on August 25, 2023 in a report: A discrepancy in the number of ballots and voters in the 2022 general election in New York “appears to be a federal crime.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • October 29, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Nicole Malliotakis stated on July 14, 2023 in a radio interview: “You can work at some McDonald’s in this country for more money than … signing up for the military.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • July 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on June 5, 2023 in a podcast: Atrazine in the water supply is contributing to \"sexual dysphoria\" in kids. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • June 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kathy Hochul stated on May 9, 2023 in a news conference: The New York state budget covers 96% of eligible preschoolers ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • May 18, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on April 26, 2023 in a TikTok post: Fauci, DOD and CDC funded deadly pathogen research at Sudan lab ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • May 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on March 1, 2023 in a social media post: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants “quarantine camps” and “imprisonment” if you’re suspected of having a disease. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • April 29, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on March 20, 2023 in a news conference: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “has downgraded over 50% of the felonies to misdemeanors.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • April 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Elise Stefanik stated on February 9, 2023 in a Tweet: 53% of Americans made aware of the Hunter Biden laptop story would have changed their vote in 2020. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 25, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robert Ortt stated on January 20, 2023 in in a news conference: If New York’s proposed limits on natural gas in buildings take effect, the grid today can’t handle the increased electric load. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 8, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Eric Adams stated on January 7, 2023 in a radio interview: “Fifty-one percent of our taxes are paid by 2% of New Yorkers.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • January 24, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Claudia Tenney stated on July 3, 2024 in a social media post: Biden Executive Order 14019 “requires our taxpayer-funded federal agencies to violate the Hatch Act and engage in illegal vote harvesting.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • August 2, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ritchie Torres stated on May 23, 2024 in a television interview: “The loss of SALT deductibility cost our state $15 billion in revenue. So New Yorkers are paying more in taxes and receiving fewer services because of Donald Trump.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • June 21, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kathy Hochul stated on February 22, 2024 in an interview: In New York, there are no barriers to law enforcement to work with the federal government on immigration laws, and there are 100 crimes where migrants can be handed over. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Jill Terreri Ramos • March 29, 2024 ### New York a leader in vaccines for young people among large states * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 13, 2024 in a post on Threads: “ABC lost $27M in ad revenue after advertisers pulled ads from the network after the way they hosted the debate\" on Sept. 10. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Madison Czopek • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 8, 2024 in a social media post: Photos that show lists of school names are “school shooting lists.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Andy Nguyen • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: A video shows a body that Israel embedded with a bomb exploding during a Palestinian funeral procession. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 11, 2024 in a post: “ESPN has fired Shannon Sharpe.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Gideon Hess • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 12, 2024 in a post on Threads: An image shows Travis Kelce responding to Elon Musk X post that followed Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Madison Czopek • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: Former President Donald Trump admitted during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that he “blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 10, 2024 in a Facebook post: Patron, Don Julio and Pink Whitney tequila recalled because they contained fecal matter. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Elissa Slotkin stated on September 11, 2024 in a TV ad: Mike Rogers supported “laws that could eliminate IVF and birth control.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 11, 2024 in an Instagram post: \"Debate moderators made the false claim to Donald Trump that there is nowhere in the United States where abortion is legal up until birth.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 12, 2024 in a Facebook post: ABC News fired presidential debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 13, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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We are No 1 among all large states in having fully vaccinated teenagers We are No 2 in all large states for having fully vaccinated five to 11 yearolds