More residents will become eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, including those who are 60-plus years old, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday.
The eligibility changes include:
New Yorkers 60 years and older, effective Wednesday March 10.
Government employees, nonprofit workers, and essential building service workers March 17.
There are also changes in who eligible providers can vaccinate.
Previously, certain types of providers were directed to focus their vaccination efforts on specific populations to ensure equitable vaccine distribution. For example, hospitals vaccinated health care workers, local health departments vaccinated essential workers and pharmacies vaccinated New Yorkers 65 years of age and older.
All providers except pharmacies can vaccinate any eligible resident starting March 17.
Pharmacies can vaccinate 60-plus residents and teachers under federal guidance, starting Wednesday.
Providers are encouraged to vaccinate those New Yorkers most at risk, such as individuals 60 years of age and older and people with comorbidities and underlying health conditions.
“New York is marching forward expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine, addressing underserved communities and getting shots in arms as we turn the tide in the fight against this virus,” Cuomo said. “Supply is steadily increasing and we’re opening new vaccination sites and expanding eligibility to match it.”
Residents can make appointments for a vaccine by using the ‘Am I Eligible’ Tool or Calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX.
Under the new rules, the following essential workers will now be eligible to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on March 17:
- Public-facing government and public employees
- Not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing services to New Yorkers in need
- Essential in-person public-facing building service workers
This includes workers such as public works employees, social service and child service caseworkers, government inspectors, sanitation workers, DMV workers, County Clerks, building service workers and election workers – the everyday heroes who have been showing up day in and day out throughout this pandemic.
Because of a limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.
CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan said, “Since the start of this pandemic, essential front line public workers have risked their own safety and the safety of their families to make sure our state and local governments keep providing needed services to all New Yorkers. We are gratified to hear all these workers will now be eligible for the vaccine. They deserve to be protected so that New York can fully and safely reopen.”
Cuomo announced that as the federal vaccine supply continues to increase, New York will establish 10 additional state-run mass vaccination sites in the New York City, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Capital, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and Western New York regions to further grow New York’s vast distribution network.
The sites remain in development and are expected to launch in the coming weeks.
Final details, including appointment scheduling information and hours of operation will be released in the coming days.
New York already has 13 other state-run mass vaccination sites, but to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine, numerous other sites have been established to ensure those New Yorkers living in underserved communities have direct access to the vaccine.