Gov. Cuomo Unveils Initial Framework For New York's Delivery Of COVID-19 Vaccine To Residents
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo predicts 40 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine are what the state will need, as he announced Sunday a preliminary plan for distributing one.
It is being called the Vaccination Administration Process, or "VAP" for short, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
"This is a massive undertaking. This is a larger operational undertaking than anything I would argue than we have done during COVID to date," Cuomo said.
The governor presented New York state's Initial framework for delivering a coronavirus vaccine. He estimated 20 million residents will need one shot, then a booster about two weeks later.
It would begin with health care workers at at-risk nursing home residents, followed by first responders and teachers, those over 65, and then healthy adults and children.
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Carlin asked New Yorkers if they would line up right away.
"If scientists say and doctors say it's good and it's safe, why not?" said Mike Khmia of Chelsea.
"Probably not day one," another man said. "There are side effects that we may not know, so let's take some time."
"There's going to be conspiracy theories and there are going to be rumors," Cuomo said.
Getting enough of the public on board is not the only challenge. The governor and leaders of other states say the federal government, which oversees the COVID-19 vaccine effort, must provide clarity and carve up responsibilities so states can plan ahead.
"States cannot do this on their own," Cuomo said.
The governor said after getting the millions of doses necessary for the state it may become necessary to keep all that vaccine in a centralized place with specialized equipment to keep it cold, Carlin reported.
"The storage of the vaccine would have to be at minus-80 degrees. There's a question about how many refrigeration units are even capable of doing that," Cuomo said. "If we have to set up at schools, gyms, Javits Center, if we have to use the National Guard, whatever we have to do, we will do it."
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The questions sent to the White House were marked urgent to help move this vaccination plan past a first draft.
Once vaccines are okayed by the federal government, the governor said his own independent medical advisory panel would also approve them, to help ensure people trust them.
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