Pregnant women, asthma sufferers and obese adults of any age will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in New York from February 15.
Governor Cuomo announced on Friday that he was widening the pool of vaccine eligibility to include a list of people with comorbidities.
Announcing the changes, Cuomo said: ‘New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions exist throughout the state’s population—they’re our teachers, lawyers and carpenters, in addition to the doctors who keep us safe every day, and they are a highly affected population.
‘We’re committed to vaccinating vulnerable populations that have suffered the most as we distribute a strictly limited supply of vaccines, and people with comorbidities are 94 percent of the state’s COVID deaths.
‘That’s why we’ll open eligibility to people with comorbidities starting February 15 and give hospitals the ability to use extra doses they have to address that population.
‘Local governments have a week to prepare for the new change—they need to get ready now.’
The wider population of people under the age of 65 without any of these conditions have not yet been given a date for vaccination.
New York has vaccinated 75 percent of its hospital staff but is yet to start vaccinating the general public.
On Friday, a long-awaited vaccination site at Yankee Stadium opened.
But the only appointments there are for people who live in the Bronx, the borough with the highest test positivity rate, and many of the appointments remained unclaimed on Thursday.
NY representatives are urging people who live there to go to get their vaccine for fear that they will go to waste.
There remains huge distrust in the vaccine among black and Hispanic people.
Speaking at his briefing on Friday, Cuomo said he understood why people would be skeptical of the vaccines if they had only been approved by the Trump administration, but that his state health board had also reviewed them and approved them.
The Bronx has by far the biggest COVID infection rate of anywhere in New York City
On Thursday, New York City opened a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx but, by the afternoon, at least 300 appointments had still not been filled between February 7 and February 12 (left and right)
New York City Councilman Mark Levine slammed the city for poor outreach and said more canvassers needed to be on the ground scheduling appointments. Pictured: Unfilled slots for vaccinations at Yankee Stadium
People line up outside Yankee stadium for vaccines amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Bronx borough of New York City, New York, U.S., February 5, 2021
A National Guard soldier helps to check-in a person waiting to make an appointment for the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination site at Yankee Stadium on February 05, 2021
They are, as set by the CDC;
• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
• Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
• Liver disease