BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County is planning to make the most of limited doses during the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations.
The county's Department of Health said on Saturday that it has not been notified of the vaccine allotment for the next week.
With that in mind, the health department said it will distribute next week's New York State vaccine allocation to hospitals, where people with certain comorbidities and medical conditions will take priority.
"By providing vaccine to Erie County’s hospitals, we are setting up a system where physicians with a deeper knowledge of their patients’ medical histories determine who is most at risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 infection and in critical need of this limited resource," said Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein in a provided statement.
"This population includes people who are most at-risk for more serious COVID-19 complications."
The county is still working on getting first doses to residents whose appointments were canceled in January, citing a vaccine shortage. Once those appointments are rescheduled, the county will then open up times for more first-dose shots, though the health department said it will take until March.
People with comorbidities and health conditions who qualify for the vaccine must fill out a form or prove it with a physician's note.
The hospitals will evaluate inpatients and vaccinate those who are most at-risk due to one or more comorbidities, and outpatients with significant comorbidities will also be targeted for the vaccine.
Mark Sullivan, the president and CEO of Catholic Health, issued a statement on Saturday:
"Catholic Health has been fortunate to partner with Erie County Executive Poloncarz and Health Commissioner Burstein throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and look forward to expanding our vaccine effort. We will work closely with other hospitals and medical providers in the region to ensure we take the most uniform and equitable approach, following guidance from the New York State and Erie County Departments of Health, in vaccinating inpatients and outpatients with comorbidities throughout our system."
The Erie County Health Department held several second-dose vaccination clinics on Saturday.
According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, staff in Orchard Park, Lancaster and Bowmansville planned to distribute at least 1,200 doses.