TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y.—The Tompkins County Health Department has received 2,470 doses of the coronavirus vaccination, which will be prioritized for a slew of eligible populations. It’s the largest single-week allocation the county has received so far.
The breakdown, as announced: 1,570 are designated for people who are 65 years and older; 300 are for people with comorbidities, which is no longer being prioritized for only those 65 and over, meaning those doses are for anyone with comorbidities; 600 are for “workers in Phase 1B and TCHD has prioritized P-12 school workers and in-person college instructors.” A full list of eligible populations is available through the TCHD website.
Those with comorbidities do not need a doctor’s note if visiting the Tompkins County vaccination site—the self-attestation form is available here.
Eligible individuals should sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Registry for direct communication about when doses are available. The vaccine registry does not, though, automatically sign someone up for a vaccine appointment. A video further explaining the vaccine registry is available here.
“TCHD uses the eligibility criteria to randomly select groups for available doses when they are made available,” said the health department in a press release. “In order to ensure that clinics are filled, TCHD may send links to more individuals in a group than the number of available appointments. If you receive a link but no appointment is available, you will continue to receive a link in upcoming weeks.”
The county also indicated that the newly-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be incorporated soon, though when that will start will be dictated by the state.
211 has partnered with TCHD to respond to public inquiries about the COVID-19 vaccine. Call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-8667 during regular business hours 8:30am – 5:00pm. This includes general information, current eligibility requirements, and assistance with the Vaccine Registry.