Sixty-eight-year-old Richard Rivera walked over to the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and received his first dose of the Moderna Vaccine without an appointment. 

Rivera was one of the first in the newly-eligible group to get a walk-in appointment for the shot.

“It is a lot easier," Rivera said. "I didn’t want to get involved with making phone calls. I am gonna tell my son to do it. This is better, you just go in and out.”

New Yorkers ages 50 and up can now walk into one of 31 city-run vaccination sites and get a shot, no appointment necessary. 

“I have been eligible a long time, but I have just been waiting, then I am hearing stuff about that other one, Johnson & Johnson, so I am a little skeptical but I said, 'let me do it, I got to do it,” explained Rivera.

Previously, the city was only offering walk-ins for New Yorkers who were ages 75 and older. Lowering this eligibility is the latest push by the city to get more New Yorkers vaccinated.

Maria Sideratos and her husband had appointments, but think expanding walk-ins to more people is a good idea. 

“People don’t know how to do the appointment and it is easier for them, more convienent when their work schedule is complicated, so it is a better way," Sideratos said.

As for Rivera, he says he would not have gotten vaccinated if he had to make an appointment ahead of time, but is now glad he is halfway done.

“Come down and do it, you know, do it. I am sure there are a lot of places they can go, I am sure this is not the only one," Rivera said.

Head to the city’s vaccine finder website to schedule an appointment or find the closest walk-in site.