Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 183,984 first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the last 24 hours, a record high for the state. Additionally, the Governor announced 5,143,219 first and second doses have been administered to date, 801,993 of which were administered by state-run mass vaccination sites. As of 11AM today, New York providers have administered 95 percent of first doses so far delivered. The Week 12 allocation from the federal government is in the process of being delivered to providers for administration.
"We're working tirelessly to vaccinate New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible, with special attention to historically underserved communities that have suffered the most during this pandemic,"Governor Cuomo said."Our vast network of distribution sites, including 24/7 operations in certain communities, are getting more and more shots in arms every day. With a true partner in the White House, I'm confident that we'll continue to see increases to our weekly allocations and we stand ready to ramp up our distribution efforts as soon as we get more doses."
Approximately 10 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.
The'Am I Eligible'screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:
Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows. Beginning week 9, allocation totals are inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program. The allocation totals below include 60 percent of the week 12 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday.
STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN
First Doses Received - 3,558,980
First Doses Administered - 3,371,537; 95%
Total Doses Received - 5,756,800
Total Doses Administered - 5,143,219
Region
Total Doses Received
(1st and 2nd)
Total Doses Administered
(1st and 2nd)
% of Total Doses Administered/Received
(1st and 2nd)
Capital Region
352,715
320,679
90.9%
Central New York
313,095
276,966
88.5%
Finger Lakes
350,410
324,168
92.5%
Long Island
734,325
623,231
84.9%
Mid-Hudson
553,645
468,129
84.6%
Mohawk Valley
171,000
143,296
83.8%
New York City
2,522,165
2,281,199
90.4%
North Country
189,025
174,599
92.4%
Southern Tier
190,745
178,221
93.4%
Western New York
379,675
352,731
92.9%
Statewide
5,756,800
5,143,219
89.3%
1st doses fully delivered to New York Providers
2nd doses fully delivered to New York Providers
TOTAL
CUMULATIVE
Week 1
Doses arriving 12/14 - 12/20
163,650
0
163,650
163,650
Week 2
Doses arriving 12/21 - 12/27
452,125
0
452,125
615,775
Week 3
Doses arriving 12/28 - 01/03
227,395
Boston City Councilor Matt OMalley has been trying to get the word out, tweeting and advising constituents about a helpful hospital website (bmc.org/covid-19-vaccine-locations) and phone number (617-638-9620) at Boston Medical Center. OMalleys 70-year-old aunt and other constituents, initially thwarted by the states balky website, were able to use this information to recently get vaccinated. People must be Boston residents and currently eligible for a shot to access an appointment through this site or number, which links them to a BMC location in Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, or Dorchester.
I have had a number of seniors reach out to me for help, OMalley said. I was so impressed by Boston Medical Centers old school approach they do have a website but also a phone number.
At the states largest health care system, Mass General Brigham, leaders say they are starting to e-mail eligible groups among their 1.8 million patients electronic tickets that contain a personalized link to sign up. Mass General Brigham is first targeting patients in communities that have been hit hardest by infections but is also reaching out in a wider sweep.
Unlike the states website, where available slots evaporate seemingly in an instant, these invitations dont disappear so quickly, said Dr. Tom Sequist, MGBs chief patient experience and equity officer.
We are trying to ensure if you are reached out to, you will get a slot, Sequist said. But he encourages patients to act as quickly as possible, because if they wait more than 21 days, the slot could be gone. The system will also be texting patients with a link, because more people tend to use cellphones with Internet access than computers, Sequist said.
Mass General Brighams eligible patients may also register for available slots on the systems patient gateway, a portal that allows patients access to their records and other types of appointments. The portal started making COVID vaccine appointments available March 3 at Assembly Row in Somerville, but more appointments at other MGB locations are expected in the coming days.
Mike Festa, director of AARP Massachusetts, which lobbies state officials on behalf of older residents, said hes relieved to hear hospitals are aggressively stepping forward to reach people because his organization has been hearing from a lot of frustrated seniors.
There are a percentage of people who have just given up, Festa said. That is my biggest worry.
Festa, who is over 65 and qualifies for a shot, has spent hours, searching simultaneously on his laptop, cellphone, and iPad and also has come up short.
At Beth Israel Lahey Health, the ramp-up begins next week.
We have the ability to be vaccinating 14,000 patients [a week] for first dose appointments and that will be our run rate going forward, said Peter Shorett, who is leading the systems initiative.
BI Lahey, which counts 1.6 million patients, also is concentrating first on communities of color and those hardest hit by the virus, but also is randomly sending e-mails and texts to its other qualifying patients with links to sign up for a shot. And for those who only have landlines, the system is sending out voice messages that direct patients to a helpline to register.
UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester is expecting in the next week to be able to double the number of vaccines it delivers daily, from about 300 to 600, with 60 percent of those reserved for the systems patients and the rest up for grabs on the states website. The system, with 400,000 patients, is also ratcheting up outreach through e-mail.
But for people who are too antsy to wait for their health care system to contact them, there is a cornucopia of new, free services springing up from bands of techie gurus that will send a text or e-mail alert when there is a shot available in the users preferred location. Some, such as Massachusetts Covid Vaccination Help, find and book appointments for people. Others are websites, such as MACovidVaccines.com, that scour and find available openings, and users then sign up.
The sites are unaffiliated with the states official system, and officials have advised consumers against using such unauthorized, non-official sources.
One of the newest entrants is a service, called MA Covid Vaccine Finder, developed by three Beverly sisters, that keeps it simple. Users provide their name and e-mail, and the system e-mails with open appointments.
The cofounders, Lilla Gabrieli, 23, and her sisters, Polly, 24, and Abigail, 26, were frustrated when their mom couldnt snag an appointment Feb. 18, the day the states system crashed when nearly a million people, ages 65 to 74, and those with underlying health conditions, became eligible and swamped the website.
By nightfall, Lilla Gabrieli, a masters student in data science, devised a program to quickly scour the states website and find slots. Her mom, using the system, got an appointment for the next day. So Gabrieli posted an offer on Facebook to help other friends and families and things snowballed from there. Its mushroomed from 500 to over 2,000 requests for help, and growing, the sister said.
Theyve built a website and say they are refining their program to better target the users preferred locations for a shot.
We are making sure when people reach out, if we arent the best fit, we are responding to them, Gabrieli said. We are letting them know they are not alone. We are real people behind the screen and we are trying to do the best helping people across the state.
Kay Lazar can be reached at kay.lazar@globe.com Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKayLazar.
Anti-vaccine flyers full of false information are being left all over a Federal Way neighborhood near a COVID-19 testing site.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. Anti-COVID-19 vaccine flyers with false information are being left at the doors of residents in a Federal Way neighborhood.
The flyers say over 900 deaths and nearly 15,000 injuries were reported following the COVID-19 vaccine. A link to a video on the flyer claims masks are a myth and not helpful in the fight against COVID-19.
"All that information on it is totally wrong. I mean it's false," said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a professor with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
"What we are concerned about when I see a flyer like this, besides [the fact that] it's false and it's not true, is it's scaring people to get a life-saving vaccine," Mokdad continued.
A man living just up the street from the COVID-19 testing site at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way said he found the flyers concerning.
"We all have a right to do our own informed decision and what we want to say, whether you want the vaccine or not, but I think we've got to continue supporting each other and just really carefully research what comes to our door," said Tom, who preferred not to share his last name.
"My concern was that we all do our part to keep up this fight against COVID and not let down our guard whether we get vaccinated or not," said Tom.
The flyer also has links to different websites and studies which claim the COVID-19 vaccine is unsafe.
"This is very dangerous, irresponsible for whoever is doing this, and we should punish people who are putting false information out there," said Mokdad.
The faculty and staff of UI are no more valuable or essential than their counterparts at SIU, EIU, our community colleges, or any other institution of higher education, she said in a statement. The lack of consistency is, frankly, maddening. It smacks of elitism and favoritism when the faculty and staff of one institution is given priority access, especially while there are individuals who have been 1B eligible due to age who have been trying, to no avail, since the beginning of the phase to get even their first dose.
MADISON (WKOW) -- Wisconsin's long-awaited COVID-19 Vaccine Registry launched this week, but so far only one county is using it.
State-run vaccination clinics in La Crosse and Rock counties are using the registry to set up appointments, but Green County is the only health department in the state to utilize it, too.
"We didn't plan on being the first," said Green County's Public Health Educator Bridget Craker. "We were really excited to get started."
Green County was one of the 10 organizations that got to pilot the site before it officially started rolling out March 1. Craker says the county is beginning to use it as a waitlist for county-run vaccination clinics.
"Everyone's put in a lot of hard work to create a really useful took that will be so beneficial for vaccine providers and for community members," she said.
But wasn't it supposed to be the waitlist for all of us? The form anyone in the state can fill out once -- and then are signed up everywhere?
That's how DHS pitched it last month, but so far, that's not how it works.
"I think I'd be a little more concerned about the registry sort of being a little slow if we weren't doing a good job vaccinating," said UW Professor Ajay Sethi.
Sethi says even without the registry up everywhere, Wisconsin is doing well.
"I think the best metric that indicates that is the percent of doses received that end up in the arms of people," he said.
That's about 85 percent in Wisconsin -- third best in the nation.
So far, Wisconsin is efficient at using vaccines once we get them -- constrained, now, by vaccine supply.
Sethi says once supply is no longer a constraint, a statewide registry will be crucial to make sure vaccines find arms.
"When the vaccinators get more supply than demand, they're going to want to be a part of that registry," he said.
For now, Sethi says healthcare providers and pharmacies are doing a good job rolling out vaccines with their current systems. He says the new statewide hotline fills the needs of people with questions.
In Sethi's eyes, the registry is a "bonus" where it's currently available.
Green County is right now one of two counties in the state with "very high" case activity.
"I think this is coming at a really great time," Craker said. "We'll have the vaccine availability to be able to utilize this really great tool to coordinate things efficiently and get people vaccinated."
DHS has said they expect the vaccine registry will be available to all interested vaccinators in the state -- including those outside of local health departments -- by April 1. Until all vaccinators opt in, people will have to use sign up processes directly through vaccinators to get on their specific waitlists.
More than 28 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to keep waiting for guidance from federal health officials for what they should and shouldnt do.
The Biden administration said Friday its focused on getting the guidance right and accommodating emerging science, but the delays add to the uncertainty around bringing about an end to the pandemic as the nations virus fatigue grows.
These are complex issues and the science is rapidly evolving, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday. We are making sure and taking time to get this right and we will be releasing this guidance soon.
Such guidance would address a flood of questions coming in from people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19: Do I still have to wear a mask? Can I go to a bar now? Can I finally see my grandchildren?
The need has slowly grown since January, when the first Americans began to complete the two-dose series of COVID-19 vaccines then available. Now, more than half of people 65 and older have received at least one shot, according to Andy Slavitt, a senior administration adviser on the pandemic.
In Washington state, Raul Espinoza Gomez has 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and an appointment Saturday for his second dose of coronavirus vaccine.
By Easter, the 77-year-olds immune system will be ready to protect him from the virus. But how the family celebrates will depend on government advice, said Melissa Espinoza, 47, of Carnation, Washington, who plans to drive Gomez, her father-in-law, to get his second shot.
We didnt gather together as a big family at Christmas, she said. We go by what the state and federal guidelines recommend. Weve had family members adversely affected by COVID. We know the risks are severe.
Worried about persistently high case loads and deaths, the Biden administration has condemned efforts to relax states virus restrictions and pleaded with the public for several months more patience.
The caution has drawn critics, who point to the administrations own warnings that fatigue is winning as evidence that they need to be more optimistic about the path ahead to secure the cooperation of those who are yet to be vaccinated.
I think its going to be overly proscriptive and conservative and thats the wrong message, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC Wednesday of the forthcoming CDC guidance. If we continue to be very proscriptive and not give people a realistic vision for what a better future is going to look like, theyre going to start to ignore the public health guidance.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Womens Hospital in the Division of Health Policy and Public Health, encouraged the CDC to be clearer about when and how it plans to produce guidelines for the vaccinated.
Making the decision to go by the science is also making the decision that youre going to have to make a decision, which is really difficult when the science isnt settled, he told the AP. Theyre drinking from a firehose of science, and sometimes, it gets messy.
More than 55.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine, and slightly more than half of those 28.7 million have gotten the recommended two doses. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot soon will add a couple million more Americans with questions about what new freedoms they can safely enjoy.
I do hope I get to see my great-grandchildren more, said Rolando Solar, 92, who received his second dose in Miami Wednesday. But I know things will not go back to normal and, for an old man like me, this is as good as it will be.
Tami Katz-Freiman, 65, of Miami, got her second dose three weeks ago, and plans to watch the Miami Film Festival virtually Sunday at the home of unvaccinated friends. All will wear masks.
We didnt have to discuss it with each other, because its very clear to me that when there is a doubt and you dont have a CDC straightforward rule you better be on the safe side and take care for yourself, Katz-Freiman said.
Three weeks ago, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people do not have to go into quarantine if they have contact with someone with a confirmed infection (for 90 days after the final shot). But the agency said nothing beyond that, noted Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University.
That (quarantine guidance) seems to imply to me that your chance of contracting COVID-19 and being a carrier to others is pretty low, said Wen, who previously ran Baltimores health department.
(But) we need to focus on what is most relevant to peoples lives, and my patients are not coming in and asking me: If Im vaccinated, do I still need to quarantine if Im exposed? she continued.
Id say the most common question I get is Can I visit my grandchildren? Wen said.
Experts say its understandable that the CDC has been cautious when many scientific questions remain, including how long vaccine-induced immunity lasts, and whether vaccinated people are still able to transmit the virus to others. The answers are important when advising someone what kind of risk they face in different settings, and how much of a risk they are to others.
The vaccines at their best, in the clinical trials, were 95% effective, I didnt say 100%. And thats why we have to keep wearing masks most of the time, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.
But CDC has needed to come out with something more for vaccinated people than sticking with the same old mask wearing, social distancing guidance, he added.
People are so eager to do something and they want to see some tangible benefit from the vaccines. Americans are impatient. They want to get on with it, Schaffner said.
Indeed, there is a real cost to putting off this guidance, as people turn to their own doctors for advice, or just make their own assumptions and decisions, Wen said.
Waiting too long can diminish the agencys relevance on this kind of matter, said Wen, who believes CDC should have had some kind of guidance in place for vaccinated people back in January.
Clearly, vaccinated people should have been encouraged to go get cancer screenings, dental care, or other needed medical appointments. CDC officials also could have said that its OK for small groups of fully vaccinated people maybe two or three couples, for example to gather together for a dinner or other small gathering, she said.
Regarding small gatherings among people who have been fully vaccinated, the relative risk is so low that you would not have to wear a mask, that you could have a good social gathering within the home, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments leading infectious diseases doctor, during a recent White House briefing.
Some experts discussed the possibility that movie theaters or cruise ships or certain other businesses might open up to vaccinated people, and ask for proof of vaccination status. Israels government has begun issuing a green pass vaccination certificate to anyone who has received two doses of COVID vaccine through an accredited vaccination service.
I dont know if in this country we would tolerate the federal government issue some kind of pass, the way they did in Israel, Wen said. But businesses might want such passes and they would be an incentive that might help the overall rate of vaccination, Wen said.
The only incentive Espinozas family needed for vaccination was seeing her and her husband hospitalized with COVID-19 this winter. Still recovering, she uses oxygen at home.
Vaccination of the family elders means one step closer to returning to traditions they love: Church on Palm Sunday and, a week later, an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a meal featuring slow-cooked barbacoa, a Mexican beef dish.
I hope people will stay home and stay safe as much as possible until we can all get vaccinated and eradicate this disease, Espinoza said.
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This story has been updated to correct Gottliebs first name.
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Associated Press reporter Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.
Maryland is in Phase 1C of vaccinations, which also includes those in eligible in phases 1A and 1B. Adults 65 and older, healthcare workers, first responders, residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living and other congregate settings, educators, and essential workers in some sectors such as the postal service, manufacturing, lab services and agriculture are eligible.
SEATTLE Amazon is holding two more pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Seattle this weekend.
The first clinic will be held on Saturday, March 6 and the second on Sunday, March 7. They will be providing first doses only and are hoping to inoculate around 2,750 people from Virginia Mason's waitlist each day.
The partnership with Virginia Mason started in January, and Amazon says they have administered more than 12,000 vaccines so far.
Washington state is currently in Phase 1B tier 1 of vaccine distribution. The vaccine is available to anyone 65 and older, all people 50 and older who live in a multigenerational household and as of March 2, teachers and childcare workers. People eligible during phase 1A, including health care workers and first responders, still qualify.
Find out whether you are eligible through the states online PhaseFinder tool. If you qualify, find a list of vaccine providers and how to make an appointment here.
Hogan said Tuesday that about 230,000 of the doses have gone to federal agencies, though the difference between the states and CDCs figures was about 360,000 then and has since grown to more than 400,000. Regardless, that gap affects where Maryland stands in another measure of getting doses to its residents.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) Sutter Health is expecting a new shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine after being forced to cancel thousands of appointments, but its not enough to get everyone back in line.
The healthcare company said it started postponing vaccinations in February, and so far has stopped appointments all the way through March 9. This included second-dose appointments, which are time-sensitive.
Sutter Health said on Tuesday that due to a lack of supply, up to 40,000-second dose appointments would be canceled this week, and possibly up to 50,000 more second dose appointments in the weeks ahead.
Now, some slightly better news: Sutter says the state has committed to giving them 60,000 doses over the next two weeks That would still leave them 30,000 doses short.
Sutter is saying, Many county and local health partners have given Sutter vaccine in recent days. This additional and unexpected supply, along with the states commitment, allows us to reschedule those impacted patients, starting as early as this weekend.
They say, as long as we continue to receive sufficient supply, we anticipate being able to complete all second dose vaccinations well within the CDCs recommended timeframe,which is up to six-weeks between doses.
Patients began getting calls on Thursday to reschedule their previously canceled vaccine appointments.
Due to the timing of the delivery, Sutter Health said we do expect many patients will need to be postponed 7-14 days.
All patients who have an appointment beyond March 9 were not impacted.
Sutter Health launched vaccination appointments first for patients ages 75 and up, in accordance with the states guidance, on January 14.
