As East End residents face an ongoing lack of access to the Covid-19 vaccine, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and other local officials vented their frustration this week with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's handling of the state's vaccination program, and offered recommendations for fixing it.
"The Titanic had a better rollout," Mr. Thiele said in a statement on Monday. "While it is true that vaccination distribution has been hamstrung across the nation by the lack of supply, that is not an excuse for the distribution problems."
East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc agreed Tuesday that there's "no rhyme or reason to how the vaccine is being distributed now." He has been talking with people in the governor's regional office and with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone about ways to improve distribution. Yesterday, the town announced that it "is coordinating with local health professionals and regional officials," to develop a plan so that a town distribution site "could open as soon as authorization and vaccine doses can be obtained."
After the vaccine received federal approval in mid-December, Governor Cuomo initially prioritized vaccinating health care workers, but on Jan. 12, following a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he expanded eligibility to include anyone 65 or older, the immunocompromised, police and firefighters, health workers at outpatient facilities, teachers and schools staff, child care workers, transit workers, and grocery store workers. More than seven million New Yorkers are now eligible for the vaccine, and the state is receiving just 300,000 doses per week, according to the governor.
This week, it was announced that the federal supply to states would increase, and that private pharmacies, which are supposed to handle the bulk of vaccinations for people 65 and older, would get an additional 10 percent allocation "directly from the federal government." With that, the governor allowed the option to also vaccinate restaurant workers, taxi drivers, and those working in facilities for the developmentally disabled.
Still, the number of doses available is not enough to vaccinate all of those eligible, and that discrepancy has made it nearly impossible for people to schedule an appointment for a vaccination.
"Currently, getting a shot has less to do with your age, medical history, or essential worker status, and more about your access and ability to use a computer," Mr. Thiele said. "The frustration and anger are palpable and justified."
As of Tuesday, vaccine distribution sites on Long Island had received 288,360 doses, and 213,037 had been administered, according to the state.
"I get calls every day at Village Hall asking me when the vaccines are going to be available, and I just don't have the information and it's sad," said East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen.
The locations of the state's mass vaccination sites have posed another hurdle for East End residents. The majority of state-run sites are in more densely populated areas, and the nearest is in Stony Brook.
"Seniors and those with health conditions cannot drive an hour or more to get the shot," Mr. Thiele said. "Areas such as the East End and rural areas of upstate New York simply have not had the same access to the vaccine as their urban and suburban neighbors."
Mr. Thiele suggested using a "decentralized" approach that focuses on making the vaccine available at drug store chains and doctor's offices in all areas of the state. That approach has proven effective in West Virginia, he noted.
He also offered a recommendation for fixing the process of making an appointment for a vaccination. "Instead of having to constantly call or try to snag an appointment on the computer . . . create a system where every eligible person can register for the vaccine. Organize all the eligible persons according to their public health need, and contact them when it is their turn."
Mr. Thiele also criticized the state for providing little guidance to local officials "who have been left in the dark as decisions filter down from Albany."
Unlike Mr. Thiele, Supervisor Van Scoyoc doesn't think using pharmacies as vaccination hubs will work. "In East Hampton pharmacies are quite small, and very crowded," he said. That's why the town has been focusing on readying the Child Development Center of the Hamptons building on Stephen Hand's Path to serve as a vaccination hub. "We've been preparing the physical site, and believe we'll be ready to start administering the vaccine once supplies are distributed," he said.
Yesterday, East Hampton Town put out the call for medical professionals who would be "eligible for state certification to administer vaccines" and community members who would be willing to help with traffic control, greeting, intake, and in other capacities for a potential community vaccination center.
People willing to volunteer for this effort have been asked to contact the supervisor's office at 631-324-4140 or to fill out a form at tinyurl.com/y6syz7nh indicating their area of expertise and "how they would be willing to help."
Among those who could be eligible to take the state's vaccinator training and help get shots into the arms of qualified recipients are licensed practical nurses, dentists, E.M.T.s, and medical students.
With Reporting by Christopher Walsh
