26% Of Putnam Residents Have Received A Coronavirus Vaccine

BREWSTER, NY — As the categories of New Yorkers eligible for the coronavirus expanded again Wednesday, Putnam County officials expressed satisfaction that more than 1 in 4 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.

In Putnam County as of Thursday, 26.4 percent of residents have received at least one dose, slightly above the state average of 24 percent.

With three vaccines now available, more doses being manufactured, and more and more individuals becoming vaccine-eligible, New York State has vaccinated nearly a quarter of its population, according to the NYS COVID-19 vaccine tracker dashboard which is updated daily, based on data collected in the New York State Immunization Information System.

Last week New Yorkers 60 years of age and older joined the vaccine eligibility list, and on Wednesday the list expanded again to include those non-profit workers, public employees, and essential in-person building service workers who provide public-facing services.

"For months, our men and women in the highway department, the department of motor vehicles and other public arenas have been asked to stand by and wait their turn," County Executive MaryEllen Odell said in a statement. "Our public-facing workers deserve to be prioritized and we are thankful the state has finally permitted our local health department to vaccinate them. Putnam County is ready to do what it takes to put this pandemic behind us."

In addition to the state's mass vaccination sites — there are three in the Hudson Valley — vaccine doses are also allocated to county health departments and to pharmacies, hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers.

As the supply of vaccine allocated to New York has increased since the rollout began in mid-December, so has flexibility about who can get vaccinated where. One exception is that pharmacies are vaccinating only those over the age of 60 and teachers, to minimize the identification procedure.

The Putnam health department has held 23 vaccination clinics so far.

"What we have achieved so far would have been unthinkable a year ago," said Odell, who recently received her vaccination and urged others to say “yes” when it is their turn.

What does this all mean and when will life return to what was once normal? Many people are asking these questions; unfortunately, the answer is “not quite yet,” according to both federal and local health officials.

Health Commissioner Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD reminded people that wearing a mask in public whether one is fully vaccinated or not, remains important, even as the CDC last week relaxed rules about socializing indoors for those who are fully vaccinated.

Mask use and basic safety precautions must remain in effect because current data is limited on how effective the vaccines are at reducing transmission, how long protection lasts and what protection the current vaccines have against the variants that are emerging. Vaccine studies for emergency authorization were focused on safety and efficacy, rather than reducing transmission.

Subsequent studies are only now beginning to shed light on the potential for reduced transmission.

“One thing we are quite certain of,” Dr. Nesheiwat added, “is how highly effective the current vaccines are at preventing severe COVID which helps tremendously with hospitalization rates and fatalities. We just can’t let up quite yet.”

Last week the Governor announced new plans starting April 1 that would eliminate all quarantine requirements for domestic travelers to New York, lifting the executive order he directed nine months ago.

“In order for this plan to work,” Dr. Nesheiwat said, “it is crucial for travelers to continue to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days and to self-isolate if symptoms occur.”

Until then, the state health department guidance from March 10 remains in effect. This guidance allows fully vaccinated individuals to avoid quarantine after traveling to New York from out of state. Fully vaccinated individuals must have received their final shot no more than three months prior to their return to New York. The state also allows those who were sick with COVID-19, but have fully recovered, to avoid quarantine if they are exposed again during the three-month period following recovery.

“Fully vaccinated means two weeks has passed since your single-dose shot or since your last dose of a two-dose series,” said Dr. Nesheiwat. “This is because it can take about two weeks for COVID fighting antibodies to offer maximum protection."

The good news is that Putnam County has the capacity to vaccinate more residents than its weekly allotment thus far, Odell and Nesheiwat said.