Governor Cuomo Announces Mass Vaccination Sites to Begin Downscaling

 

State to Continue to Focus on Communities with Low Vaccination Rates

 

Following Major Milestones with 70% of Adult New Yorkers Receiving First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine, State Will Shift Resources to Communities Where Vaccination Rate Is Below State Average

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that given the statewide progress on vaccinations and the achievement of milestones that allowed the State to lift COVID-19 restrictions, certain State-run mass vaccination sites will begin to downscale and shift their resources for localized vaccination efforts. Over the course of weeks and months, a number of sites will downscale based on demand, proximity to other vaccination sites, and other locally focused efforts. The transition reflects the State's plan to focus resources on areas where zip code data shows the vaccination rate is lower than the statewide average. 

"Our network of mass vaccination sites administered the biggest throughput of vaccinations in a short period of time, and thanks to their success we hit the milestones we needed to hit to get back to life as we know it," Governor Cuomo said. "Our statewide progress has been remarkable, but we still need to get more shots into people's arms, particularly in areas that are still lagging on vaccinations. We have to go where the need is greatest, and so many of our mass sites will gradually start downscaling so that we can use our resources to target communities where vaccination rates are still low."

Starting Monday, June 21, the first phase of downscaling will begin with the closing of the mass sites in Corning, Oneonta, Potsdam and York College.

Earlier this month, the Governor announced a series of pop-up vaccination sites will open in areas with lower vaccination rates, building on the State's commitment to make the vaccine accessible in all communities across the state. New York State is expanding this program and will open additional sites in the coming weeks.

New Yorkers are encouraged to continue to utilize the Am I Eligible tool to make appointments and check on the availability of vaccine at State-run mass vaccination sites.  All open sites continue to offer walk-in vaccinations for all eligible individuals.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and includes vaccination data by zip code. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state's vaccination effort.

New Yorkers who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov. Hotline staff will route complaints to the appropriate investigative agencies to ensure New Yorkers are not being taken advantage of as the State works to vaccinate the entire eligible population.