Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday announced new guidance which will allow pharmacies to vaccinate New Yorkers with comorbidities. Pharmacies were previously only able to vaccinate New Yorkers over the age of 60 and teachers.
"New Yorkers with comorbidities are among our state's most at-risk residents and access to the COVID-19 vaccine protects this vulnerable population as we work to defeat the virus and establish the new normal," Cuomo said. "As New York receives more doses and more people receive the vaccine, we're able to expand the population pharmacies can serve, and this is a commonsense step forward that will help make it easier to protect New Yorkers."
New Yorkers with comorbidities or underlying health conditions can use the following to show they are eligible:
--Doctor's letter, or
--Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
--Signed certification
Also on Sunday, Cuomo announced more than 7.5 million total COVID vaccine doses have been administered across New York State. In the Western New York region, 341,219 people have received at least one vaccine dose, while 176,171 people have had the completed vaccine series.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. New Yorkers seeking to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can visit the 'Am I Eligible' website.
WBFO's Marian Hetherly contributed to this story.
