Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program and announced that individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions can use the 'Am I Eligible' website starting tomorrow morning. As of 11AM today, New York's health care distribution sites have received 2,129,135 first doses and already administered 90 percent or 1,923,259 first dose vaccinations and 83 percent of first and second doses. The week 9 allocation from the federal government continues being delivered to providers for administration.      

"Our vaccine supply is going up, the positivity rate is going down and we're getting one step closer to winning the war against COVID each day," Governor Cuomo said. "The numbers show that we're moving in the right direction, and to maintain this trajectory we must win the footrace between vaccinating New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible and keeping the infection rate down. We have the infrastructure in place to get shots in arms as quickly as possible - we just need the supply to do it - and with a new leader in Washington we're finally beginning to get more supply, allowing us to open vaccination appointments up to New Yorkers with comorbidities starting next week. We can almost see the light at the end of this dark tunnel, and it is critical that all New Yorkers continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing and act responsibly so that we can defeat this beast once and for all."     

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool will be updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions at 8AM on Sunday, with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. Starting next week, local health departments will also receive vaccine allocations for these individuals. People can use the following to show they are eligible:

• Doctor's letter, or
• Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
• Signed certification 

Approximately 7 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by more than 20 percent over the next three weeks, but 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.     

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. The allocation totals below include 80 percent of the week 9 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday. The total week 9 allocation is also inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program.    

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received - 2,129,135

First Doses Administered - 1,923,259; 90%

Second Doses Received - 1,129,450

Second Doses Administered - 772,510    

*These numbers represent 80 percent of the Week 9 allocation. The full Week 9 allocation is expected to arrive by the end of day Sunday, February 14.  

To date, New York's health care distribution sites have administered 90 percent of first doses received from the federal government but due to the federal government's limited allocation, appointments have filled up quickly. New Yorkers seeking to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, can visit the 'Am I Eligible' website. New Yorkers may also call their local health department, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital for additional information and to schedule appointments where vaccines are available.  

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state's vaccination effort.  

New Yorkers who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at [email protected]. Hotline staff will route complaints to the appropriate investigative agencies to ensure New Yorkers are not being taken advantage of as the State works to vaccinate the entire eligible population.