Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that 19,200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine may arrive in the mid-Hudson region as early as this weekend.
He broke down what the distribution process will look like based upon the FDA's decision Thursday.
Cuomo explained that the Trump team, partnering with the military, FedEx and other private companies, will distribute the vaccine to the state's 90 designated distribution sites that are capable of cold storage.
The states decide where the doses go and who gets its first.
Cuomo's team has allocated the initial 170,000 doses all across the state, with over 19,000 being delivered to the mid-Hudson region.
These numbers - according to the state - were determined by the number of health care workers and nursing home residents and staff in each region.
"It's a massive undertaking. I think, frankly people have not focused enough on the extent of what this undertaking means. I can't think of a government operation that has been commenced that is more difficult and intricate than what governments will be asked to do here," said Cuomo.
Cuomo says New York has opted into a federal program with CVS and Walgreens, which will have their trained staff administer the shots in nursing homes.
Nursing home residents and staff will be eligible for the vaccine first. Then comes high-risk hospital workers: emergency room staff, ICU staff and pulmonary department workers.
Cuomo says hospitals will select those individuals.
"By the end of week two, if all goes well and the federal government sticks to the schedule, we expect all high-risk staff will receive the vaccination. Staff at every hospital will have access to the allocation even if their hospital doesn't have this cold storage capacity," he said.
Next on the list is long-term and congregate care staff and residents, EMS and other health care workers, then essential workers and the general population.
If the FDA gives Pfizer emergency use authorization Thursday, 170,000 doses will be sent to New York as early as this weekend. Then a second shipment will come three weeks later with people's second doses.