Photo Courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of the Governor
New Yorkers aged 60 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
By Forum Staff
Beginning March 10, all New Yorkers 60 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, while public facing essential workers from governmental and nonprofit entities will be eligible beginning March 17, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday. This expansion also includes public-facing essential building services workers, Cuomo said.
Additionally, the governor announced that with increased supply of the vaccine, restrictions concerning which segments of the eligible population specific providers can vaccinate will be relaxed to align with the expanded eligibility on March 17. 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. Now, providers will be able to vaccinate any eligible New Yorker, with the exception of pharmacies, which will focus on individuals over the age of 60 and teachers, in line with federal policy. Pharmacies may begin vaccinating individuals over the age of 60 and teachers on March 10. As part of this effort, providers are being encouraged to vaccinate those New Yorkers most at risk, such as individuals 60 years of age and older and people with co-morbidities 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. New Yorkers over 60 years old and those who serve their fellow New Yorkers in the public sector are more vulnerable to COVID-19, and we’re addressing that vulnerability by providing access to the vaccine. The fight against the COVID beast continues on all fronts, and we’re pushing the infection rate down while getting our vaccinations up.”
Under this new expansion of eligibility, 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, Cuomo said.
Eligible New Yorkers will be able to schedule appointments at state vaccination sites by utilizing New York’s ‘Am I Eligible’ website or by calling the State’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
“We have been in constant communication with the governor’s office on this issue and are very happy that our members will be eligible to receive vaccinations,” said Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association Local 831 IBT President Harry Nespoli. “Upwards of 25 percent of our members have been infected by COVID-19 and, tragically, four died. We greatly appreciate the governor’s actions.”
