In accordance with NYS Department of Health (NYDOH) guidelines, today we vaccinated our first group of employees at CCP! This is great news, and the first step to protecting our staff and our community.
CCP received a small allotment of vaccine that is being used to first vaccinate our CCP employees who will accept it, according to the requirements of the state and federal governments. This is our first priority. We want to vaccinate our employees as quickly as possible, based on supply, so we can then turn our attention to vaccinating patients according to the prioritization groupings set forth by NYSDOH.
So far, the vaccines are not available to the general public. Limited amounts of COVID-19 vaccine have been made available to New York State by the Federal Government. As more vaccine becomes available, priority groups will be expanded. Unfortunately, we don’t have definitive timelines as to when each priority group will be eligible for vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine must be given according to the prioritization plan established by the NYSDOH, and we are not permitted to deviate from these plans.
You’ve heard it many times before – this situation is constantly evolving. We are responding to changing vaccine guidelines, vaccine group prioritizations, and requirements as quickly as possible. We are fine tuning our vaccination process for patients, so we are prepared once you are eligible to receive the vaccine. We previously mentioned that we would distribute a survey to patients to help us determine if you want the vaccine and in which priority group you fall. We are not yet certain if this is in fact necessary. So, please be patient as we finalize these details. Whatever our final process, we will be sure it works for people with and without access to technology like email. Our timelines to vaccinate eligible patients depends entirely on vaccine supply provided to us. Please remember, we are not compiling wait lists for vaccine, so you should not call your doctor’s office to ask to be placed on a wait list.
How can you best prepare? Make sure your CCP doctor's office has the most up to date email and cell phone number on file for you, if available.
Who is currently eligible for vaccine:
The first to receive the vaccine were hospital workers who interact with Covid-19 patients and nursing home residents and staff.
On Saturday, January 4, the NYS DOH published revised guidelines regarding who may receive the vaccine. The full guidelines can be found here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-updates-new-yorkers-vaccination-efforts-across-new-york
The guidelines are stated, verbatim, hereunder:
- All Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care, or other staff in a position in which they have direct contact with patients (i.e., intake staff), will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
- This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who work in private medical practices; hospital-affiliated medical practices; public health clinics; specialty medical practices of all types; dental practices of all types; dialysis workers; diagnostic and treatment centers; occupational therapists; physical therapists; speech therapists; phlebotomists; behavioral health workers; and student health workers.
- All front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including those conducting COVID-19 tests, those handling COVID-19 lab specimens and those directly engaged in COVID-19 vaccinations, will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
We know you are all anxious to get vaccinated. Decisions in these regards to vaccine priority groups and schedules are being made by the highest levels in the office of the governor in conjunction with the DOH.
If you are a patient of CCP who fits one of the priority groups eligible for vaccine now, we can’t yet vaccinate you at CCP at our centralized vaccine centers. Right now, our vaccine supply is extremely limited and being used to vaccinate our employees, and it’s being done in batches as we receive the vaccine. You can, however, use New York State’s eligibility checker below to verify you are eligible and find a location in the area where you can be vaccinated now.
New York State’s Eligibility Checker and Vaccine Locations
Can you get a Covid-19 vaccine yet in New York state?
Use this website to find out: https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/
There’s a new way to find out if you’re eligible. The NYS Department of Health has set up a website (link above) that will tell you if you can get the vaccine now or if you have to wait. You’ll be asked to give your address, birth date, and other basic information. You’ll be asked two questions to determine your eligibility right now:
- Are you a worker in a patient-facing healthcare setting or a congregate living setting?
- Are you currently living in a congregate setting?
If you answer no to both, you’ll be told you’re not eligible yet. If you answer yes to either one, you’ll be asked to be more specific in a drop-down window. If you are eligible, the site will tell you where you can get a shot.
In addition to the NYS DOH eligibility website, you can also keep track of the status of vaccines in our area using this link below. As you know, Albany Med has been designated as our regional hub for vaccine.
Please continue to be patient with us. We will make the vaccine available to you as soon as possible based on the guidelines set by NYS DOH, FDA, and CDC. All of us – including CCP, area hospitals, and the Regional Vaccine Hub at Albany Med– are responding as best we can to the directives and the allocations emanating from the state.
We will continue to keep you informed as to our process and when you can get vaccinated at CCP or elsewhere, depending on vaccine supply, distribution, and prioritization. Our ultimate goal is to vaccinate all those patients who will accept it based on the NYS prioritization schedule and supply.
We will keep you updated directly using email communications through our secure Solution Reach platform, on our website www.communitycare.com/COVID and on Community Care Physicians’ Facebook page as to when the vaccine is available. We will let you know when it’s time for you to schedule your vaccine appointment at CCP.