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Phase 1a of vaccine distribution prioritized healthcare workers and was distributed by local hospitals, and they continue to distribute the vaccine to the best of their abilities.
Nursing homes were being vaccinated through a federal program that is underway, but New York is in the process of stepping in to make sure that all nursing homes are vaccinated to speed up the process. |
| Phase 1b will focus on essential workers and those who are 75 and older.
To prepare for the next phase of eligibility, the Governor is encouraging essential worker groups such as police departments, fire departments, educators, and public transit organizations to begin developing plans to vaccinate their workforce.
Plans will ease the burden on hospitals and other vaccination locations when the general public becomes eligible to receive a vaccine.
I will send out updates about Phase 1b vaccine distribution when the information is available. |
| Under the Department of Health’s most recent eligibility guidance, beginning January 4, all Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care, or other staff in a position in which they have direct contact with patients will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
This includes, but is not limited to: |
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- Individuals who work in private medical practices
- Hospital-affiliated medical practices; public health clinics
- Specialty medical practices of all types
- Dental practices of all types
- Dialysis workers
- Diagnostic and treatment centers
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- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists
- Speech therapists
- Phlebotomists
- Behavioral health workers
- Student health workers
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Additionally, all front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including individuals who administer COVID-19 tests, handle COVID-19 lab specimens, and those directly engaged in COVID-19 vaccinations are also eligible to receive the vaccine.
Eligibility also expands this week to include home care workers, those in the consumer directed programs, hospice workers, and staff of nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities and other congregate settings who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccination through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. |
Vaccine Distribution at Nursing Homes
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| Currently, 611 facilities in New York have enrolled in the federal government’s Nursing Home Vaccination Program, in which staff and residents receive vaccinations through a partnership with pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. According to the latest data, 288 facilities – or 47% – have completed the first dose for residents. |
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| Through state facilitation, 234 more facilities will administer the first dose this week.
This will ensure that 85% of facilities have administered the first dose to residents by week’s end, with the remaining 15% to be completed over the next two weeks. |
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New York State has launched a new ‘Am I Eligible ” app to help New Yorkers determine their eligibility, connect them with administration centers, and schedule appointments.
To access the app, as well as find the latest information concerning the vaccine and its administration, visit this website. |
Ensuring Accountability in the Vaccination Process
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| The vaccine will only be effective if it is administered quickly and fairly across every corner of the state.
To facilitate this, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker issued a letter to vaccine providers in recent days outlining the expectations which have been placed on providers to ensure an expedited administration of the vaccine.
This included: |
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- Any provider must use the vaccine inventory currently in hand by the end of week or face a fine up to $100,000;
- Moving forward, facilities must use all of its vaccine allotment within seven days of receipt;
- Providers who do not comply or are found to be seriously deficient can be subject to more serious sanctions and fines, including being disqualified from future distribution
Additionally, with fraud being a real concern of any operation this size, the Governor is signing an Executive Order stating that if any entity falsifies who or what they are, or if any entity does not follow state guidelines on vaccine eligibility, that provider will be subject to license revocation.
The Governor will also be proposing legislation to make these acts criminal moving forward. |
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