Governor Andrew Cuomo today said “shutdowns are very harmful “ and believes New Yorkers can avoid that if they stop the spread of the virus.
He also announced that the state’s medical task force to assess the vaccine candidates approved the use of Moderna’s vaccine following the Food and Drug Administration’s preliminary approval on Thursday.
“The vaccines will be distributed medically, not politically,” he said.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being distributed to 292 sites statewide, Cuomo said.
The Mid-Hudson region will initially receive a total of 57,000 doses of vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna, according to a slide presented at the governor’s news conference today.
He added that the existing supply of vaccines is larger than originally thought, noting that each vial of the Pfizer vaccine contains 40 percent more product and that the FDA had authorized that use.
Gareth Rhodes, part of Cuomo’s Covid-19 task force, said that 618 long term care facilities in the state have enrolled to receive vaccines and that will begin this Monday.
As part of a plan with the federal government that New York State opted into, Walgreens and CVS employees will administer those shots.
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Governor Cuomo at Bethel Woods in 2019.
