WGXC-90.7 FM
County leaders want better vaccine distribution plan
Jan 18, 2021 6:33 am
Brendan J. Lyons reports for the Times Union that many New Yorkers don't understand when and where to get vaccinations, as the state has had much trouble with its distribution of shots for COVID-19. Larry Schwartz, who is leading Gov. Andrew Cuomo's vaccination efforts, told county leaders and health officials Jan. 15 that pharmacies "must vaccinate those over 65; hospitals must prioritize (phase) 1A healthcare workers." But county executives are pushing back, saying things still are not clear. "Pharmacies have so few doses. Where do seniors and (the) vulnerable go?" Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said. He also said that many county vaccination databases are still not yet synced to the state monitoring system, which further frustrates those attempting to get a vaccine. Many observers have suggested that the large, state run vaccination distribution locations, such as the one at the University at Albany, had more open appointments. But it might be easier to sign up online at those large, state-run sites and that means, "the folks who are quite tech savvy were the ones who got all of those appointments (at state-run vaccination sites)," Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon said. The state and county leaders are on the same page about one thing: they both want more vaccines to arrive soon. "It’s upsetting to me that I can’t offer more doses to be able to vaccinate more people and that’s because of the federal government not providing a greater allocation," Schwartz said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.