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Mayor: City Will Run Out of COVID-19 Vaccines Next Week, State Health Department Issues Vaccine Alert

COVID-19 vaccine
Photo by Hakan Nural on Unsplash

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday, Jan. 15, during an interview on WNYC, that the City is set to run out of COVID-19 vaccine supply next week, and called on the federal government to send additional doses.

 

“We will run out of vaccine next week in New York City,” said de Blasio. “The supply should go to where there is an infrastructure to get it into people’s arms. We know there is supply in this country not being used.”

 

The mayor’s office said that as of Friday, Jan. 15, the City had under 186,000 first doses remaining, and that two of the City’s largest hospital systems, NYU and Mt. Sinai, are no longer booking vaccine appointments for the time being. “We expect all systems to run out by the end of next week without resupply,” officials said.

 

The City reported 33,847 doses were administered on Thursday, Jan. 14, and overall, has administered more than 337,500 doses to New Yorkers, including more than 42,000 second doses. Officials said of the 175,000 vaccines the city aimed to distribute by the end of this weekend, it had administered 71.3 percent on Friday, Jan. 15.

 

Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Health has issued an alert regarding the vaccine roll-out, which is currently posted on its website, and which reads, “The federal government determines how much vaccine New York State receives, and has only given New York approximately 250,000 vaccines per week for over 7 million people who are eligible – as a result supply is very limited*.”

 

The alert goes on to say that vaccines are available at pharmacies, hospitals and through local health departments statewide. New Yorkers are asked to contact their designated providers of choice to schedule their vaccine appointment. Residents are informed that there is a network of State-run sites distributing the vaccine statewide  and to determine eligibility and schedule appointments at New York State-run vaccination sites only, they should use the Am I Eligible app.

 

Finally, residents are warned that an appointment is required, and if anyone visits a location without one, they will not receive the vaccine.

 

The State health department has provided the following breakdown regarding the various phases of the vaccination roll-out:

 

Eligible New Yorkers in Phase 1a and 1b are:

  • High-risk hospital workers (emergency room workers, ICU staff and Pulmonary Department staff)
  • Residents and staff at nursing homes and other congregate care facilities
  • Federally Qualified Health Center employees
  • EMS workers
  • Coroners, medical examiners and certain funeral workers
  • Staff and residents at OPWDD, OMH and OASAS facilities
  • Urgent Care providers
  • Individuals administering COVID-19 vaccines, including local health department staff
  • All Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care
  • All staff who are in direct contact with patients (i.e., intake staff)
  • All front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including those conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens and COVID-19 vaccinations
  • This includes, but is not limited to,
    • Doctors who work in private medical practices and their staff
    • Doctors who work in hospital-affiliated medical practices and their staff
    • Doctors who work in public health clinics and their staff
    • Registered Nurses
    • Specialty medical practices of all types
    • Dentists and Orthodontists and their staff
    • Psychiatrists and Psychologists and their staff
    • Physical Therapists and their staff
    • Optometrists and their staff
    • Pharmacists and Pharmacy Aides
    • Home care workers
    • Hospice workers
  • Staff of nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities who did not receive COVID vaccination through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program

 

Beginning January 11, 2021:

  • Individuals Age 65 and older
  • First Responder and Support Staff for First Responder Agencies
    • Fire Service
      • State Fire Service, including firefighters and investigators (professional and volunteer)
      • Local Fire Services, including firefighters and investigators (professional and volunteer)
    • Police and Investigators
      • State Police, including Troopers
      • State Park Police, DEC Police, Forest Rangers
      • SUNY Police
      • Sheriffs’ Offices
      • County Police Departments and Police Districts
      • City, Town, and Village Police Departments
      • Transit of other Public Authority Police Departments
      • State Field Investigators, including Department of Motor Vehicles, State Commission of Correction, Justice Center, Department of Financial Services, Inspector General, Department of Tax and Finance, Office of Children and Family Services, and State Liquor Authority
    • Public Safety Communications
      • Emergency Communication and Public Safety Answering Point Personnel, including dispatchers and technicians
    • Other Sworn and Civilian Personnel
      • Court Officers
      • Other Police or Peace Officers
      • Support or Civilian Staff for Any of the above services, agencies, or facilities
  • Corrections
    • State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Personnel, including correction and parole officers
    • Local Correctional Facilities, including correction officers
    • Local Probation Departments, including probation officers
    • State Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Facilities
    • Local Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Facilities
  • In-person college instructors
  • P-12 Schools
    • P-12 school or school district faculty or staff (includes all teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, school administrators, paraprofessional staff and support staff including bus drivers)
    • Contractors working in a P-12 school or school district (including contracted bus drivers)
    • Licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt group Childcare Providers
    • Exempt Childcare setting
  • Grocery store workers
  • Employees or Support Staff of Licensed or Registered Childcare Setting
  • Licensed, Registered, Approved or Legally Exempt Childcare Providers
  • Public Transit
    • Airline and airport employees
    • Passenger railroad employees
    • Subway and mass transit employees (i.e., MTA, LIRR, Metro North, NYC Transit, Upstate transit)
    • Ferry employees
    • Port Authority employees
    • Public bus employees
  • Individuals living in a homeless shelter where sleeping, bathing or eating accommodations must be shared with individuals and families who are not part of the same household
  • Individual working (paid or unpaid) in a homeless shelter where sleeping, bathing or eating accommodations must be shared by individuals and families who are not part of the same household, in a position where there is potential for interaction with shelter residents

 

Residents are asked to follow steps 1 through 4 of the vaccine process.

 

“Step 1: Determine eligibility and schedule an appointment. Vaccines are available at pharmacies, hospitals and through local health departments statewide – please contact your provider of choice to schedule your vaccine appointment.Additionally, there is a network of State-run sites distributing vaccine statewide – to determine eligibility and schedule appointments at New York State-run vaccination sites only, use the Am I Eligible app. You can also call the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). Due to extremely limited supply from the federal government, it may be 14 or more weeks before an appointment is available.

 

Step 2: Complete the Vaccine Form. Once you have a confirmed appointment, you must complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. This form can be completed online and you will receive a submission ID, or can be completed at your vaccination site. (We encourage New Yorkers to complete the form ahead of time.)

 

Step 3: Bring proof of eligibility to your appointment. When you go to your vaccination site for your appointment, you must bring proof of eligibility. This may include an employee ID card, a letter from an employer or affiliated organization, or a pay stub, depending on the specific priority status. If you are eligible due to age, you should bring a form of ID (like a Driver’s License or passport) that includes your date of birth.

 

Step 4: Schedule your second appointment in-person at your vaccination site. You must schedule an appointment to get your second shot at your vaccination site, in-person, immediately after getting your first shot. Remember: Both vaccines require two doses for effectiveness.”

 

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