Opinion - COVID-19 Vaccine Brings Dose Of Hope

Vaccine Brings Dose of Hope

By Rob Calarco

Presiding Officer, Suffolk County Legislature

The first COVID-19 vaccines are here, and by the end of this week, more than 900,000 first doses will be distributed to providers. The state expects to receive approximately 300,000 doses next week, with more to come.

The FDA has authorized two vaccines. The first was developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. This vaccine was approved unanimously by New York State’s independent COVID-19 Clinical Advisory Task Force on Dec. 10, 2020 and was formally authorized by the FDA on Dec. 11, 2020. Moderna developed the second vaccine. This one was authorized by the FDA and approved unanimously by the Clinical Advisory Task Force on Dec. 18, 2020. No serious side effects related to the vaccines have been reported.

The first New Yorkers to receive the vaccine are high-risk hospital workers (such as emergency room workers, ICU staff and Pulmonary Department staff), nursing home residents and nursing home staff, followed by long-term and congregate care residents and staff, EMS workers, other health care workers, coroners and medical examiners. Staff at every hospital will have access to the vaccine first.

New York State has opted into a federal nursing home vaccination program. Under the program, employees of CVS and Walgreens will vaccinate residents and staff in these facilities, much like they do for the flu vaccine. This program began on Dec. 21, 2020. A separate program will allow members of the New York Army and Air National Guard who serve as part of the state’s COVID response efforts to be eligible for the vaccine.

To help guide this process, Governor Cuomo established a Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force to advise the setup and operation of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program. The task force is comprised of experts in public health, immunization, government operations, data and other fields relevant to vaccine distribution and administration.

Health experts have projected that in order to win the war against COVID-19, between 75 and 85 percent of the population needs to receive the vaccine. New York has made it a top priority to ensure vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind.

Stopping this pandemic will require using all tools available. Wearing masks, hand washing, and social distancing help lower your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. A vaccine will help your body fight the virus if you are exposed. Visit www.ny.gov/vaccine to learn more.

Experts need more time to understand the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on mask use. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision. 

If we all do our part by listening to the advice of medical experts, we can save lives and return to normal quicker. Getting vaccinated will be a big part in that return, but there will be many factors. Remember the vaccine is safe, and getting it will not only protect you, but your loved ones as well.