Officials are promoting the latest COVID-19 booster shot, with cases expected to rise as winter approaches.
State Assemblyman John McDonald is hosting a series of flu and COVID vaccine clinics in his 108th District. It comes with renewed attention on flu, COVID, and RSV cases now that time spent indoors is increasing.
Speaking with WAMC during a recent clinic at Sage College’s Albany campus, the Democrat says, as a pharmacist and member of state government, public health is a key focus.
“Flu season runs into March. So you want to make sure that you have that vaccine protection through the length of the season. So you know, flu and COVID- COVID is on the rise. Flu hasn't really started. RSV hasn't really started but it's gonna start to kick in,” McDonald said.
McDonald says those 60 and above should not get the RSV – respiratory syncytial virus – vaccine at the same time as a COVID shot.
The clinic at Sage was the second of the day.
“We had one over in Troy today for about 120 individuals for both flu and COVID vaccines. Here down in Albany, only about 20 people have signed up,” McDonald said.
McDonald, who runs Marra’s Pharmacy in Cohoes, says efforts are being made to address underserved areas, and notes COVID vaccines are covered by healthcare plans.
“There's some confusion with that when it first rolled out, they are covered. We're not having any problems yet at this time. But in the beginning, some of the Medicare Part D plans had some problems, just because it took a little while,” McDonald said.
Jocelyn Hernandez, a Sage College student, says as someone with a disability, it’s important for her to be vaccinated.
“I don't want to get sick and last time I didn't get my flu shot I got really sick,” Hernandez said.
“In 2020, the fall semester, we switched to single occupancy residence halls," said Grace Giancola, the Albany campus Director of Residence Life. "So all of our students had their own room. And we had strict protocols for the common areas, and how many people could be in a space and using the bathrooms and other stuff like that,” Giancola said.
She says the campus mandated COVID vaccines and masking during that time, and while the declared emergency has ended, she’s not letting her guard down.
“This is my fifth COVID shot, I get my flu shot annually, you know, I just recognize it's really important to protect myself and to protect others and make sure I'm not one of the people spreading any sort of disease anywhere,” Giancola said.
Giancola says Sage is more health-conscious following the pandemic.
“We've definitely cultivated a culture of making sure that we're taking care of one another. And we really do encourage masking and staying home if you're sick and testing and being proactive,” Giancola said.
She adds the college, which has roughly 2,100 students split between its campuses in Albany and Troy, hasn’t dropped all COVID precautions.
“If a student does test positive for COVID, we require them to stay in their room for a five-day isolation period. And then we have, you know, masking requirements for when they can return to class and normal life,” Giancola said.
Connie Fenton is a licensed clinical social worker and teaches restorative justice as part of Sage’s undergraduate criminal justice program.
“My husband just had COVID. And I tested every day he was in the hospital. Thank you. And he's doing better now. And he's not contagious anymore. But I didn't catch it. So I'm very fortunate, I feel really blessed that I didn't catch it for him. I know, there are some things that are riskier as you get older, but I just tried to take care of myself,” Fenton said.
A representative from McDonald’s office says the clinics are being run as part of the Democrat’s work as a pharmacist, apart from his government work.
The New York State Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment from WAMC, but data available on its website shows while overall cases in the Capital Region have fallen in recent weeks, from a recent high of 15.5 cases per 100,000 to 2.3 as of October 18th. Reinfections have risen from early July’s low of .4 cases per 100,000 to 3.5 as of the latest report.
