NYC’s First Coronavirus Vaccine Allocation Will Be 72K Doses: Gov

NEW YORK CITY — The first doses of a life-saving coronavirus vaccine could arrive in New York City this weekend, sooner than expected, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

This 72,000-dose allocation will depend on federal approval of a Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, Cuomo said during his Wednesday briefing.

He outlined a plan for distributing the vaccine first to nursing home residents, nursing home staff and “high risk” hospital workers.

Black and Brown New Yorkers, who bore the pandemic’s brunt, will also the subject of an outreach campaign to ensure they get the vaccine.

“This has to be a fair distribution and New York will lead the way,” he said.

The coronavirus vaccine — or, soon, vaccines — have dominated recent briefings by Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Both have cast the vaccine the weapon that will win the war against the coronavirus. But they’ve also made clear that distributing the vaccine in the state and city will be a massive undertaking.

Cuomo’s briefing Wednesday gave more details on how the first doses will get to New Yorkers and who will get them.

The state will take part in a federal program that partners with CVS and Walgreens to get doses to nursing homes, Cuomo said. Part of the state’s initial vaccine allocation will be set aside for the program, which will begin Dec. 21 and is expected to eventually cover all nursing home residents, he said.

The “high risk” hospital workers who will be the first to receive shots are emergency room workers, ICU staff and pulmonary department staff, he said.