LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Assisted living facilities across Western New York are still waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine.
At Briarwood Manor in Lockport, administrators think if people had already started getting the first dose, it could have prevented or lessened a recent outbreak.
"If we would have started on the 21st, and we were lucky enough to start that week, maybe the current cases that we have in our facility that began this past Wednesday may not have occurred," says Mark Ferreri, vice president and administrator at Briarwood Manor.
After our story aired Thursday where a couple from West Seneca in their 80s wanted to know when they'd be able to get the vaccine, 2 On Your Side heard from Ferreri who is also frustrated with how the vaccine rollout is going.
"We currently have zero people that have been vaccinated," Ferreri said in an interview on Monday.
With around 100 residents and about 80 staff members, Briarwood Manor had escaped any COVID-19 cases until last Wednesday.
"I'm also executive vice president for Empire State Association of Assisted Living Facilities, and we've been continually talking with the Governor's office and the Health Department to include us in the first priority of this vaccine to no avail," Ferreri said.
Ferreri says the federal program to vaccinate residents and employees of long term care facilities started December 21 and states were allowed to choose which populations within the long term care arena got priority. The federal program is being administered by pharmacies that will do in-house clinics.
"New York State prioritized nursing homes and left assisted living facilities out of the initial vaccination clinics," Ferreri said. "There shouldn't have been a distinction between long term care employees, whether you're a nursing home or assisted living. We're still providing care to the most vulnerable population and to single us out and push us down the list, I think was not, was not right."
2 On Your Side went to the state to get answers and a spokesperson told us Monday, "The federal program starts today [Monday] for Adult Care Facilities, and we are working with all parties involved, including pharmacies, to expedite vaccination."
But Ferreri is still frustrated because he says if the vaccine had gotten to Briarwood Manor sooner, it may have helped prevent last week's outbreak if people had at least some immunity.
"Unfortunately, that's what we were dealt with," Ferreri said. "And it's disheartening too, because I don't discourage people from getting vaccine, and I'm glad people are getting it, but there are groups that are getting it that aren't taking care of this critical population that we serve."
Ferreri was told his first clinic will be January 27. The second will be March 17. He says some assisted living facilities have dates this week and some facilities don't have any dates yet.
