Pregnant women, those with asthma and obese adults of any age will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in New York from February 15th.
Governor Cuomo announced Friday that he was expanding the vaccine eligibility reserve to include a list of people with comorbidities.
Announcing the changes, Cuomo said: “There are New Yorkers with comorbidities and conditions underlying the entire population of the state: they are our teachers, lawyers and carpenters, in addition to the doctors who keep us safe on a daily basis and are a very affected population.
“We are committed to vaccinating the most affected vulnerable populations as we distribute a strictly limited supply of vaccines and people with comorbidities account for 94% of the state’s COVID deaths.
“That is why we will open eligibility to people with comorbidities from February 15 and give hospitals the opportunity to use additional doses they have to care for this population.
“Local governments have a week to prepare for the new change; they have to prepare now.”
The wider population of people under the age of 65 without any of these conditions has not yet been given a date for vaccination.
New York has vaccinated 75 percent of hospital staff, but has not yet begun vaccinating the general public.
A long-awaited vaccination site was opened at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
But the only appointments out there are for people living in the Bronx, the district with the highest test positivity rate, and many of the appointments remained unclaimed Thursday.
Representatives in New York are urging people living there to go get the vaccine for fear of getting lost.
There remains a huge mistrust in the vaccine between blacks and Hispanics.
Speaking Friday at his briefing, Cuomo said he understood why people would be skeptical about vaccines if they had only been approved by the Trump administration, but that his state health council had also reviewed and approved them.
The Bronx has by far the highest COVID infection rate in New York City
On Thursday, New York City opened a mass vaccination site at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, but by the afternoon, at least 300 appointments had not yet been completed between Feb. 7 and 12 (left and right).
New York City Councilman Mark Levine criticized the city for poor publicity and said there needed to be more pitchers to assist with scheduling appointments. Pictured: Vaccination slots at Yankee Stadium
People line up outside the Yankee stadium for vaccines amid the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) in the Bronx district of New York City, New York, USA, February 5, 2021
A National Guard soldier helps register a person waiting to make an appointment for the coronavirus vaccination site (COVID-19) at Yankee Stadium on February 5, 2021
They are, as established by the CDC;
• Cancer (current or in remission, including cancers related to 11/11)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Lung disease, including, but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate to severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11-related lung disease
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised condition (weakened immune system) that includes, but is not limited to, solid organ transplantation or blood or bone marrow transplantation, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other medications to weaken the immune system. immunity or other causes
• Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg / m2), obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg / m2 or more but <40 kg / m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle disease or thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurological conditions that include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• Liver disease