BUFFALO, N.Y. — Just over a week from now, New York state, pending federal approval, expects to get its first doses of the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer.
Then it will begin with a limited amount of vaccinations.
As the state prepares to get its first doses of a COVID vaccine, Erie County is working on a plan of its own.
"Erie County is actually finalizing its own internal vaccine distribution plan. We've got a number of sites that have been identified as being locations for distribution of the vaccine from the county, above and beyond what you may otherwise be able to get through like a pharmacy," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.
A county spokesperson clarified that the plan will focus on distribution to county residents.
Poloncarz didn't release further details, but on Thursday Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul indicated distribution will be a big effort.
"You need to have a mobilization effort, like a war effort, so we are really going to be deploying the National Guard if necessary, working with hospitals and doctor's offices and pharmacies," Hochul said.
The state expects to receive 170,000 doses of COVID vaccine from Pfizer on December 15, if the vaccine gets Food and Drug Administration approval. If that happens, state officials say they would then be able to start vaccinating long-term care residents and health care workers, who the CDC has identified as top priority.
Distribution won't be easy.
"So there's a lot of logistics that goes on because we have to keep track of: everybody who received the first shot, if they get the shot that's the Pfizer shot for the first one, they then cannot get the Moderna shot. They have to get the Pfizer second dosage," Poloncarz said.
The Governor's Office says the state expects to get more doses from both Pfizer and Moderna later this month. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid says, "Because the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines will be federally purchased. … Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost."
That includes people without insurance.
"As spring comes around and certainly by summer, we expect to have mass inoculation, meaning we want to have everybody who's eligible to be able do this," Hochul said.
In terms of COVID vaccine distribution and management, a state health department writes in a statement: "We are awaiting further direction from the federal government. The first vaccine delivery to New York will be 170,000 doses. The federal government distributes the vaccine by percentage of population of that state. To ensure the security of vaccine supplies and participating locations, as well as the safety of facility staff, at this point, we are not releasing any information that could identify the specific sites that will be used to pre-position the COVID-19 vaccines."
A member of Cuomo’s COVID-19 Response Task Force, Gareth Rhodes, added: "170,000 is just the first allocation of Pfizer vaccines. We expect additional allocations to the Pfizer vaccine in December and then we expect the Moderna allocation as well. This is just the first traunch of Pfizer to New York. It's 170,000 doses now, we get another 170,000 doses in 21 days for those same 170,000 people who get the first round of Pfizer because it's 2 doses."
