Elected officials and doctors gathered in Washington Heights on Monday to encourage New Yorkers to get their COVID-19 vaccination.  

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and NYC Department of Health commissioner Ashwin Vasan received their latest COVID-19 vaccination shot as they focus on reducing the gap in vaccination rate among children and minority communities.  

Both Becerra and Vasan received what medical experts are calling an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine. They say it’s not “new” because it does a lot of what the previous vaccine does, but that it attacks the virus even better.  

Health officials say anyone over the age of 12 is eligible to receive it.  

"It can attack the newest variant of COVID, along with the previous variant,” said Becerra. “And so it’s a double punch against the virus.” 

This initiative is coming after recent Department of Health data for New York City sparked concerns about the vaccination rates in Black and Latino communities. The issue is at the forefront with school back in session.  

"At the time the vaccine was introduced… there was a lot of fear, there were a lot of people dying from all sorts of categories and health statuses and walks of life… everyone rushed to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Vasan. “And now that we're introducing boosters, it's our chance to say ‘let's prepare for the road ahead.’"