New Yorkers over 65 can now register to get the vaccine: go to https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ to register and find out possible sites to get the vaccine in your area!
Cuomo Says New Yorkers 65 And Over Can Register To Be Vaccinated
Federal directive also will enable vaccinations for those with compromised immune systems
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday criticized a new directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for states to vaccinate anyone 65 and older, and those with compromised immune systems.
The directive released Tuesday morning will make roughly 7 million New Yorkers eligible for vaccination at a time when the state is not receiving enough vaccines to finish vaccinating hospital workers and other groups who are eligible, including people 75 and older.
Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, said anyone 65 and over can immediately schedule an appointment to be vaccinated through the state health department’s online portal or hotline.
The CDC’s new guidance was issued as the state’s rollout of vaccinations has been widely criticized, including a state hotline for vaccination appointments that crashed on Tuesday when it was opened up. State officials said the state is not receiving enough doses to vaccinate all of those who are eligible.
“This is another major change in a very short amount of time,” Cuomo said, noting that the CDC did not define what would make someone have a compromised immune system. The state is receiving about 300,000 vaccine doses per week.
“The federal government didn’t give us an additional allocation,” Cuomo said. “How do you effectively serve 7 million people, all of whom are now eligible, without any priority? If I’m 90 years old I’m in the same class as a person who is 65-plus.”
Despite his questioning of the directive, the governor said the state will follow the guidance and that he does not want to cause panic.
The governor said “hundreds of thousands” of doctors and nurses have not been vaccinated and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed with people sickened by COVID-19 as those facilities are losing staff who are also being infected with the disease.
“The policy and the intelligence of the federal system eludes me but we will do the best we can,” he said. “But this is … a loaves and fishes situation.”