Where To Get The Coronavirus Vaccination In New York

NEW YORK — New York State's vaccination rollout has left many confused and frustrated, with long waits online and on the phone for appointments only to find that there are no vaccinations to be had.

Here's a breakdown of where to find the vaccine and how to make an appointment.

To determine if you are eligible and to make an appointment for a mass vaccination site in New York State, click here.

Who Can Get Vaccinated

As of Monday, below is the list of those eligible for vaccinations.

New York residents 65 and older

Healthcare workers

• High-risk hospital workers, including emergency room workers, ICU staff and pulmonary department staff
• Federally qualified health center employees
• Emergency medical services workers
• Coroners, medical examiners and certain funeral workers
• Urgent vare providers
• Thosse administering COVID-19 vaccines
• All health care workers who provide direct patient care
• All staff who are in direct contact with patients
• Healthcare workers conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens and COVID-19 vaccinations

That list includes, but is not limited to:

• Doctors who work in private medical practices, hospitals, private health clinics, and their staff
• Registered nurses
• Specialty medical practices of all types
• Dentists and orthodontists
• Psychiatrists and psychologists
• Physical therapists
• Optometrists
• Pharmacists and pharmacy aides
• Home care workers and aides
• Hospice workers
• Personal care aides
• Consumer-directed personal care workers

Residents and staff in congregate, group living facilities

First responders, including fire ,police, public safety communications, court officers, corrections officers and staff

Teachers and school staff

Teachers, school administrators, support staff, contractors, child care providers and staff, early intervention therapists and teachers, and the State Office of Children and Family Services

Public Transit

Airline and airport worker, railroad, subway, mass transit, Port Authority, bus and ferry employees,

Homeless shelters

Peole living and working, paid or unpaid, in a homeless shelter, as well as in domestic violence shelter and congregate facilities

Taxi drivers

Food industry workers

Grocery store workers, as well as those who work at food banks, pantries, bodegas and home-delivered meal progams.

Restaurant workers and restaurant delivery workers, including soup kitchens and those in congregate facilities

Hotel workers in contact with guests

Underlying conditions (began on Feb. 15)

Those with comorbidities and underlying conditions including:

• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary disease, including but not limited to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis and 9/11-related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities including Down syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system), including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines or other causes
• Severe obesity (body mass index of 40 kg/m2 or higher), obesity (body mass index of between 30 kg/m2 and 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer's disease or dementia
• Liver disease

Where To Get Vaccinated

According to New York State, to be vaccinated at a New York State-operated vaccination site, a person must:

1) Determine eligibility and schedule an appointment via the Am I Eligible app or by calling the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

Once an appointment has been scheduled, a confirmation email will be sent that contains a barcode. You will need to bring that email to your appointment.

2) Complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. This form should be filled out online and you will receive a submission ID indicating completion. You will need to bring the submission ID to your appointment. If you cannot submit the form online, it will be available at the vaccination sites.

3) Bring proof of eligibility to the appointment. Depending on a person's eligibility category, proof can include an employee ID card, a letter from an employer or affiliated organization, a pay stub, a driver's license, passport, or any legal proof of your date of birth and residency.

4) At the time of the appointment, you'll be asked a series of clinical questions. Questions about insurance information will be asked but the vaccine is free and there will never be a charge.

5) The second dose appointment will be scheduled automatically when a person receives the first vaccine dose.

Mass vaccination sites in New York State:

Javits Center
New York, NY

Jones Beach - Field 3
Wantagh, NY

State Fair Expo Center: NYS Fairgrounds
Syracuse, NY

SUNY Albany
Albany, NY

Westchester County Center
White Plains, NY

SUNY Stony Brook University Innovation and Discovery Center
Stony Brook, NY

SUNY Potsdam Field House
Potsdam, NY

Aqueduct Racetrack - Racing Hall
South Ozone Park, NY

Plattsburgh International Airport -Connecticut Building
Plattsburgh, NY

SUNY Binghamton
Johnson City, NY

SUNY Polytechnic Institute - Wildcat Field House
Utica, NY

University at Buffalo South Campus - Harriman Hall
Buffalo, NY

Rochester Dome Arena

Henrietta, NY

**York College - Health and Physical Education Complex - Queens
Jamaica, NY

**Medgar Evers College - Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY

**New York National Guard Armory - Yonkers and Mount Vernon
Yonkers, NY

**Washington Avenue Armory - Albany, Schenectady, Troy
Albany, NY

**Former Kodak Hawkeye Parking Lot - Rochester
Rochester, NY

**Delavan Grider Community Center - Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

** Restricted by residency

In New York City, also check the NYC Covid-19 Vaccine Finder.

Pharmacies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government is sending vaccinations dosages to pharmacies including CVS, Walgreen's, RiteAid and Costco. Cuomo said those pharmacies initially was providing vaccinations only to those 65 and over. Check online to find out if you are eligible.

Pop-Up Vaccination Sites

Cuomo regularly announces new pop-up vaccinations sites.

Those sites are located at community centers, public housing complexes and cultural centers.

Since January 15, more than 100 community-based pop-up sites administered over 46,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine dose. As has been the case with previous pop-up sites, the sites are re-established in three weeks to administer second doses.

Moving forward as the federal vaccine supply increases, New York will continue to establish the pop-up sites at all 33 NYCHA senior housing developments, which house more than 7,600 seniors. Pop-up locations will also continue to be established at other public housing complexes statewide, as well as at more than 300 churches and cultural centers which have volunteered to house these sites through Governor Cuomo's Vaccine Equity Task Force.

"Community-based vaccination sites are a key component of New York's effort to ensure all eligible New Yorkers have a chance to get the vaccine quickly and fairly, right in their community," Cuomo said. "Social equity and fairness has been at the center of our response, but this isn't purely an access issue. We need New Yorkers to trust the vaccine and actually take it. We're tackling skepticism and distrust head-on through our local partnerships and pop-up sites and bringing the vaccine directly in the communities that have been hit hardest by this pandemic."

For information on the most recent pop-up sites, check the state's information page.

To sign up for updates from the state on vaccination pop-up sites and other news, click here.

Expanded senior eligibility

Last week, Cuomo announced that the state would partner with local health departments to include vaccination sites for those 65 and older population across New York State. The sites will be in partnership with local health departments and will provide assistance to New Yorkers with transportation to and from the vaccination facilities and special support for paperwork regarding their vaccination.

As New York State’s vaccine allocations increase, the 65+ facilities and appointments will be bolstered by additional supply from the federal government. Counties across New York State will be getting an increased supply of Moderna vaccine starting this week.

Hospitals or other locations, including doctor's offices

Contact the individual facility to determine eligibility and availability.

Grassroots efforts to help

There are dedicated bands of volunteers popping up on social media to help those overwhelmed by the system to schedule appointments.

The problem, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is that although the federal goverment has been amping up dosage supply since President Joe Biden took office, there are still about 10 million New Yorkers eligible and about 300,000 dosages arriving weekly.

New vaccine on the way

Last week, the federal government approved the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine; that shot is coming soon, adding dosages to the supply of Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations already available.

On Monday, Cuomo said New York State's clinical advisory task force unanimously recommended use of Janssen Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in New York State, following the FDA's advisory committee's recommendation for emergency use authorization.

New York expects to receive about 164,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week, pending final FDA authorization. The added doses will supplement New York State's expected Week 12 supply of 422,780 first doses and 290,500 second doses from Pfizer and Moderna, for a total of approximately 878,080 doses — that will be New York State's highest-ever weekly vaccine allocation, he said.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single dose and there are fewer restrictions on its storage; New York State is finalizing plans for the vaccine's prioritization and distribution, Cuomo said.

Focus on underserved communities

Cuomo has placed an emphasis on opening vaccination sites in underserved and minority communities where vaccine hesitancy is an issue. The Black and Latino populations, he said, have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus and efforts must be made to vaccinate those residents as well as put outreach in place to educate those who distrust the process.

"New York is working to vaccinate the state's residents as quickly and efficiently as possible, and it's critical that we reach underserved communities that have paid the highest price for COVID-19," Cuomo said.

Amped up supply of dosages still needed

And, he said, across the board, additional supplies are needed.

"Our widespread and expanding network of distribution sites is getting more and more shots in arms across the state, but we're limited by the supply of available vaccines. The federal government has expanded vaccine supply, but there's still a long way to go until we're able to reach a large portion of the state's population. In the meantime, it's critical that New Yorkers continue to be cautious and practice the behaviors known to help keep us and our loved ones safe."

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Those who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM, or 833-829-7226, toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov.