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Vaccine Distribution Plan

From the New York State Department of Health: 

New York State will distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in phases based on need and risk.

New Yorkers who are more likely to be exposed to the virus, and who are more likely to become seriously ill if they get COVID-19, will be offered the vaccine first.  Both the federal government and New York State have developed plans to ensure that everyone will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as large quantities are available, at no cost no matter where they live.

Thousands of health care providers will be able to offer vaccination, including doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) of priority groups. The State Department of Health will share additional information on where New Yorkers can get vaccinated as more vaccine doses become available.

***New Yorkers 30 Years of Age and Older Can Begin to Schedule Appointments and Get Vaccinated Beginning Tuesday, March 30

****New Yorkers 16 Years of Age and Older Can Begin to Schedule Appointments and Get Vaccinated Beginning April 6

We are currently in Phase 1a and 1b. Eligible New Yorkers in Phase 1A are:

  • Individuals Age 50 and older who reside in New York
  • First Responder or Support Staff for First Responder Agency
  • Fire
  • State Fire Service, including firefighters and investigators (professional and volunteer)
  • Local Fire Service, including firefighters and investigators (professional and volunteer)
  • Police and Investigations
  • State Police, including Troopers
  • State Park Police, DEC Police, Forest Rangers
  • SUNY Police
  • Sheriffs' Offices
  • County Police Departments and Police Districts
  • City, Town, and Village Police Departments
  • Transit of other Public Authority Police Departments
  • State Field Investigations, including DMV, SCOC, Justice Center, DFS, IG, Tax, OCFS, SLA
  • Public Safety Communications
  • Emergency Communication and PSAP Personnel, including dispatchers and technicians
  • Other Sworn and Civilian Personnel
  • Court Officer
  • Other Police or Peace Officer
  • Support or Civilian Staff for Any of the Above Services, Agencies, or Facilities
  • Corrections
  • State DOCCS Personnel, including correction and parole officers
  • Local Correctional Facilities, including correction officers
  • Local Probation Departments, including probation officers
  • State Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Facilities
  • Local Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Facilities
  • P-12 Schools
  • P-12 school (public or non-public) or school district faculty or staff (includes all teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, school administrators, paraprofessional staff, and support staff including bus drivers)
  • Contractor working in a P-12 school or school district (including contracted bus drivers)
  • Licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt group childcare
  • In-person college faculty and essential in-person staff
  • Employees or Support Staff of licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt group Childcare Setting
  • Licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt group Childcare Provider
  • Public Transit
  • Airline and airport employee
  • Passenger railroad employee
  • Subway and mass transit employee (i.e., MTA, LIRR, Metro North, NYC Transit, Upstate transit)
  • Ferry employee
  • Port Authority employee
  • Public bus employee
  • Public facing grocery store workers, including convenience stores, bodegas, regional food banks, food pantries and permitted home-delivered meal programs
  • Individual living in a homeless shelter where sleeping, bathing or eating accommodations must be shared with individuals and families who are not part of your household
  • Individual working (paid or unpaid) in a homeless shelter where sleeping, bathing or eating accommodations must be shared by individuals and families who are not part of the same household, in a position where there is potential for interaction with shelter residents
  • High-risk hospital and FQHC staff, including OMH psychiatric centers
  • Health care or other high-risk essential staff who come into contact with residents/patients working in LTCFs and long-term, congregate settings overseen by OPWDD, OMH, OCFS, OTDA and OASAS, and residents in congregate living situations, overseen or funded by the OPWDD, OMH, OCFS, OTDA and OASAS
  • Certified NYS EMS provider, including but not limited to Certified First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Technician – Critical Care, Paramedic, Ambulance Emergency Vehicle Operator, or Non-Certified Ambulance Assistant
  • County Coroner or Medical Examiner, or employer or contractor thereof who is exposed to infectious material or bodily fluids
  • Licensed funeral director, or owner, operator, employee, or contractor of a funeral firm licensed and registered in New York State, who is exposed to infectious material or bodily fluids
  • Staff of urgent care provider
  • Staff who administer COVID-19 vaccine
  • All Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care, or other staff in a position in which they have direct contact with patients (i.e., intake staff)
  • All front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including those conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens and COVID-19 vaccinations
  • Home care workers and aides, hospice workers, personal care aides, and consumer-directed personal care workers
  • Staff and residents of nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and adult care facilities
  • Restaurant employees, including workers in permitted soup kitchen and congregate meal programs*
  • Restaurant delivery workers*
  • Public facing hotel workers*
  • For-hire vehicle drivers, including taxi, livery, black car, and transportation network company drivers*
  • Public-facing government and public employees
  • Not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing services to New Yorkers in need
  • Essential in-person public-facing building service workers

*Eligible for vaccination at State-operated mass vaccination sites, and, at the option of local health departments (LHDs) at LHD-operated point of distribution sites.

List of Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions:

  • New Yorkers age 16 and older with the following conditions qualify for the vaccine:
  • 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 (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 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

The list is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as New York State obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.