Curran Aims To Boost Local Confidence In Coronavirus Vaccine

MASSAPEQUA, NY – As New York State awaits a shipment of what is expected to be 170,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine later this month, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran understands the uphill battle public officials face in convincing residents of the vaccine’s safety.

On Friday, Curran launched a campaign that she hopes will bolster confidence in the vaccine at a time when the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate continues to climb. As of Friday, Nassau County’s positivity rate had climbed to 5.1 percent, just days after it was well below the state’s average of 4.9 percent. The county’s rolling seven-day average remains at 4.2 percent, Curran said, who reported that 295 Nassau County residents remain hospitalized with the coronavirus with 43 in intensive care and 21 on ventilators.

Curran said at a news conference Friday morning that she is not certain what the vaccine rollout will look like in Nassau County once it arrives in the state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that he expects the first shipment of the vaccine to arrive by Dec. 15. But Curran stressed the need for residents to be willing to take the vaccine, saying it is the only hope for life to return to normal nine months after the pandemic began back in the spring.

Curran cited statistics that show that only about 50 percent of the American population is confident in taking the vaccine as many believe that it was rushed in its development. However, she hopes that as the vaccine arrives later this month and begins to be distributed that residents will feel comfortable in taking the vaccine.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Curran said Friday. “We know there are going to be many challenges in distribution and in prioritizing (who gets the vaccine) and working with the state and our hospitals. But we’re not afraid of the challenge. We’re going to take it head-on. We’re absolutely going to do this.”

Curran introduced the “We Can Do It, Nassau” public awareness campaign includes the image of Rosie the Riveter that the county executive said she hopes not only provides accurate information about the storage, delivery and distribution of the vaccine, but that encourages residents to take it once it arrives locally.

The campaign will used multi-media messaging and testimonials from healthcare professionals and frontline workers as well as residents who have taken the vaccine. Curran said there will also be an effort to make sure the vaccine is delivered equally and to communities of color as county officials begin to work through what the distribution process will look like once the vaccine arrives.

Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein compared confidence in the coronavirus vaccine to those of ever-evolving flu vaccines, which are new each year. Just as vaccines have been proven effective in fighting against the flu, Eisenstein said Friday that the new coronavirus vaccine should be trusted as it is rolled out across the United States.

“I’m very confident that once (the vaccine) comes here…that this will be a safe and effective way for us to get back to our lives,” Eisenstein said. “We will absolutely be ready to go no matter how many people the state asks us to assist in vaccinating. When they ask us, we’ll be ready.”

Details about the vaccine rollout – including the cost – continue to be sorted out at the state and county levels, Curran said, adding that information will be distributed once county officials have more details. Curran said she has discussed how the vaccine will be stored at local hospitals once it arrives to ensure the distribution process remains safe.

Eisenstein said that the residents who are most at-risk of contracting the virus “absolutely need to be vaccinated first.” While what that looks like is yet to be seen, Curran said her goal with the campaign is to boost confidence among residents. In order for the vaccine to be effective, studies have shown 75-80 percent of the population needs to participate, which Curran said leaves her with work to do.

“I want to do everything I can, leave everything on the field as it were to ensure that people are getting the information and that we engage people,” she said. “There’s a lack of trust. I think there’s a lack of trust in society on many levels right now.

“The vaccine is the key to getting back to normal. That’s what we all want.”