ALBANY – New York State will soon be reallocating COVID-19 vaccine dosages set aside for hospital workers to patients with underlying conditions and comorbidities.
That’s the word from New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo who said Friday hospital staff statewide have reached a healthy 75 percent vaccination rate.
Still, some of those staff have opted against getting the vaccine. According to the Governor, with about two million doses already administered, hospital staff no longer should be worried about being vaccine test subjects.
With that in mind, Cuomo says that hospitals have one more week to use vaccine supply specifically earmarked for their staff.
After February 15, those doses will be reallocated for patients with comorbidities.
“We do not have a supply that can reach everyone. We understand that. So the prioritization is to reach those people who are most at risk or most essential,” Cuomo said.
He says that underlying conditions, preexisting conditions, and age are the major factors in COVID mortalities, and that 94% of deaths were individuals those comorbidities.
The governor urged local health departments to prepare for this shift, saying that his administration is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to finalize a comorbidities list.
“We’re basically going to follow the CDC guidance,” Cuomo said. “Some items on the list raise questions for the health professionals, and that’s what we’re working through.”
Cuomo said that a priority is setting up mass vaccination sites in high positivity areas in Black and Latino communities
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