Dutchess County Allocated
Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Again This Week
New Appointments Opened for Sign Up – Will Fill Quickly
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced the County’s Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed this week’s COVID-19 allocation from New York State and has opened new appointment slots for eligible individuals in Phase 1a and 1b as determined by New York State’s Phased Distribution Plan. Dutchess County will again receive 600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week from New York State, well below the County’s distribution capacity.
DBCH will operate one Point of Dispensing (POD) Vaccination Center, by appointment only, this week and appointments must be made online at the link below:
Thursday, January 28th
Noon to 8pm
Former JCPenney store
Poughkeepsie Galleria
2001 South Road, Poughkeepsie
There will only be one location this week to allow the Poughkeepsie site to test higher throughput capacity in preparation for larger vaccine allocations in the future.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Our POD vaccination sites have been exceptionally efficient thanks to our dedicated Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers, public health staff, Public Works and Dutchess County Sheriff Deputies and others. We have the capacity to vaccinate thousands of people every week, but supply remains the issue. We will continue to push for more supply because we have the capacity to put a lot more shots in arms. But until greater supply is available, we urge everyone to try to remain patient and keep up the safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Please note, appointments CANNOT be made by calling Dutchess County’s Coronavirus Information Call Center or the Department of Behavioral & Community Health as appointments must currently be made online through the State-operated online registration system.
Registered individuals should be prepared to show identification (i.e. driver’s license, pay stub, work ID) to verify eligibility for Phase 1a and 1b classification. Scheduling for second dose appointments will occur at the vaccination site as vaccine requires two doses for effectiveness. Vaccine supply remains very limited from the state and federal government and supply allocations are not guaranteed. All appointments should be considered tentative and are subject to cancellation if Dutchess County does not receive expected allocation.
Governor Cuomo last week noted it will take up to seven months to vaccinate all who are now eligible in Phase 1a and 1b based on current projected vaccine availability. Eligible residents should anticipate it may be several weeks, or even months, before they can get an appointment as demand far exceeds supply.
Last week, New York State provided new guidance for facilities currently receiving vaccine allocations to prioritize specific subgroups in the Phase 1a and 1b eligible population. Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order outlining prioritization as follows:
- Local health departments and county governments receive allocation for and must prioritize essential workers in the 1b category.
- Hospitals receive allocations for and must prioritize healthcare workers.
- Pharmacies receive allocation for and are to prioritize individuals that are 65 years and older.
- New York State mass vaccination sites receive allocation for and are to prioritize 65+ and essential workers in the 1b category.
Dutchess County continues to provide updated information about COVID-19 vaccine availability on its webpage www.DutchessNY.gov/
As vaccinations continue, all residents are reminded to continue with coronavirus safety measures – wearing a face mask, frequent hand washing and physical distancing – to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Residents can register to receive notification when new vaccination appointments are open for scheduling at the County’s COVID-19 vaccine information webpage: www.dutchessny.gov/
