Starting today, millions more
New Yorkers, including the Hudson Valley, are now eligible to get the COVID-19
vaccine.
New York residents in group
1B can begin making their appointment to be vaccinated against the coronavirus today.
The group is composed of
teachers, first responders, public safety workers, transit workers and anyone
over the age of 75 - totaling 3.2 million people.
Those who qualify can go to
the state Department of Health website for a virtual application.
After you show you're
eligible for the vaccine, the site will provide a local facility and time for
your appointment.
The state is still continuing
to vaccinate the earlier group, including health care workers,
so the demand for vaccine appointments is set to increase.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an
executive order to expand the workers who can be trained to administer the
vaccine to get the job done as efficiently as possible.
The announcement to expand the eligibility groups to include three
million more people, came from Gov. Cuomo last week,
after growing pressure from medical providers across the state. Many
claimed they were having difficulty finding patients who matched precisely with
the state's strict vaccination guidelines.
So as a result some health
care officials say they had vaccines sitting in freezers for weeks and were
forced to throw out precious doses.
Those who are eligible can
request reservations online beginning at 8 a.m., or
by phone beginning at 4 p.m. "You
have to register online. You have to put in your date of birth, if you're a
senior citizen. You have to sign an affirmation if you're any of those
groups--that you are qualified to get in there..." says Orange County Executive Steve
Neuhaus.
It's expected to take 14 weeks based on current doses available to
vaccinate all of those who are now qualified.
The Department of Health is setting up 20 mass
distribution sites throughout the state over the next several weeks to support
all categories of eligibility. Opening on Wednesday:
- Jacob
K. Javits Convention Center (NYC)
- Westchester County
Convention Center
- Onondaga County State Fairgrounds
For help finding vaccine administration centers and to
schedule appointments, click the state’s
“Am I Eligible” page.You can also call the health department at 1-866-881-2809 or
email questions to
dohweb@health.ny.gov.