WMCHealth’s Vaccine Hub Nears 170,000 shots in Hudson Valley and 55,000 vaccines delivered at WP County Center, with pharmacies and drop in locations also on board.
By Dan Murphy
I see good news in the fight against COVID-19, and the efforts of both our health care officials and are local elected officials to set up and deliver the vaccine to county residents.
WMCHealth has taken the lead for Westchester, and the Hudson Valley to ensure the safe, equitable and efficient distribution of the COVID-19. Working with a broad group of nearly 320 hospitals, healthcare organizations and agencies, community organizations and many other stakeholders, WMCHealth is supporting the historical allocation of more than 169,000 COVID-19 vaccination doses across the region to date, including directly administering more than 55,000 vaccinations at WMCHealth campuses and the Westchester County Center Mass Vaccination Center.
“WMCHealth has managed vaccine redistribution across the Hudson Valley, in collaboration with Governor Cuomo’s Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force, the State Department of Health and local governments, and our healthcare and community partners,” said Josh Ratner, WMCHealth Executive Vice President, and Hub Lead.
Ratner said that now more than 160 pharmacies have joined the Hub’s Provider Task Force, which now totals more than 210 members. Several Walgreens Pharmacies in Westchester are starting to receive and distribute the vaccine.
Earlier this month, WMCHealth joined New York State and Westchester County in spearheading the operation of the Westchester County Center in White Plains as one of the first of 20 Mass Vaccine Distribution sites in New York, and is currently administering more than 2,000 vaccinations per day.
This week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced 35 community-based pop-up vaccination sites coming online this week at churches, community centers, public housing complexes and cultural centers. These sites are expected to vaccinate over 25,000 people throughout the week, with more sites coming online every week. Since January 15, the deployment of these kits have enabled nearly 9,000 New Yorkers to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose that these community-based pop up sites. As has been the case with previous pop-up sites, these sites will be re-established in three weeks to administer second doses.
The Westchester Pop-up locations are:
Grace Baptist Church
52 S. 6th Avenue
Mt. Vernon, NY
Open Thursday, February 4 and Friday, February 5 – By Appointment Only
Provider Partnership: Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center
Nodine Hill Community Center
140 Fillmore Street
Yonkers, NY
Open Thursday, February 4 – Saturday, February 6 – By Appointment Only
Provider Partnership: Sun River Health
Kiley Youth Center
709 Main Street
Peekskill, NY
Open Saturday, February 6 – By Appointment Only
Provider Partnership: New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine is expected to receive FDA emergency approval at the end of February and immediately start to deliver doses across the country, and the US Government has ordered 100 million doses of the J&J Vaccine, which the company expects to be able to deliver by June.
The J&J vaccine, created with Janssen Pharmaceutical, requires only one shot per person. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses per person. The J&J Janseen vaccine can also stay potent for up to three months at regular refrigerated temperatures.
By the time that J&J’s 100 Million doses are delivered across the US in June, there shoud be a fourth vaccine available as Novavax continues its work on a vaccine and could have 100 million doses available in June.
Pfizer will have delivered 200 million doses, or 100 million, two -shot vaccines by July, and Moderna’s vaccine will have 100 million doses of vaccine by the end of March and an additional 100 million by June.
There is progress, and hope, that this summer, all residents of Westchester will have been able to get a vacccine. And as more Americans get the vaccine, hopefully fewer Americans will get COVID.
That is good news–read it and share it.
