As Albany County plans to hold an essential worker COVID-19 vaccination clinic, County Executive Dan McCoy is urging residents to “stop being selfish” and wait their turn for the vaccine, instead of trying to cheat the screening system. Speaking Wednesday, the Democrat said 117,000 people in the Capital District have gotten their first dose.
“There are a million people that live in the Capital District so think about the math behind it,” McCoy said. “We still have a long way to go and it’s going to take time. People have to be patient and they have to wait their turn.
County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen says there is strict enforcement of who can receive the vaccine, and residents should check the New York state vaccine website if they are unsure if they qualify for the 1B essential worker population.
“First responders, support staff for a first responder agency including fire, police, investigations, public safety communications, corrections, public K-12 school teachers,” said Whalen, listing who is deemed to be an essential worker under the vaccine rollout plan. “Licensed, registered, approved or legally-exempt childcare providers, public transit, individuals living, working or volunteering in a homeless shelter, public-facing grocery store workers and in-person college faculty and instructors.”
The County Health Department will administer the Moderna vaccine from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Times Union Center to qualifying essential workers. Those eligible can click hereto sign up and for more information.
Rensselaer County says it will be holding vaccination clinics for seniors Thursday through Sunday after it received an additional supply. People 65 and older can call the county’s Department for the Aging at 518-270-2730 for more information. The county is warning of issues getting through because of a high volume of calls.
NOTE: This post has been updated to correct the number of vaccines administered. The number cited by Dan McCoy reflects the total number of first doses given in the Capital Region, not Albany County, as was previously stated by WAMC.
