February 8, 2021: Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Dear Colleagues,
Vaccinations are continuing today, February 8th.
As of today, over 44,000 faculty, staff, and students at NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell, and Columbia have received their first dose of the vaccine. There have also been over 36,000 second doses administered. This includes over 27,000 first and second doses administered on the CUIMC campus alone.
The Armory site is closed today, Monday, 2/8.
Governor Cuomo announced that beginning February 15, adult New Yorkers with certain underlying chronic medical conditions will qualify for the vaccine. Please click here for more information.
The Armory site is vaccinating people 65 years and older and who live in New York City. See below for links to other vaccination sites in NYC and in NYS.
CUIMC Employees
If you have not yet received your first dose, or are due for your second dose this week, please do so as soon as possible.
Please check the hours for The Armory, Myrna Daniels, and Workforce Health and Safety. They are posted here and are updated as changes occur:
First doses
An important reminder that 1st doses at The Armory are only for CUIMC employees and trainees in the following groups:
- Employees in patient-facing roles who directly interact with patients, and staff who provide in-person support to those delivering patient care
- Employees conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens, and administering COVID-19 vaccinations
- Trainees who are working in patient-facing settings
Second doses
Important reminder: Second doses of the Pfizer vaccine are being administered to CUIMC employees in the Myrna Daniels Auditorium on Friday 2/19 only, during the hours of 6 am to 7:30 pm. Individuals who are scheduled to return earlier in the week should instead come on Friday. If an individual is unable to get their second vaccination on 2/19 or prefers to return on a different day, they may go to the Armory for second dose Pfizer vaccinationsduring hours of operation, Tuesday – Saturday, 7 am to 9 pm.
Patient and Community Vaccinations at the Armory
At this time, per NYS guidelines, we are vaccinating people in Group 1B who are 65 years and older and who live in New York City. In addition, a minimum of 60% of all appointments are reserved for eligible residents of the Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, and South Bronx communities.
All existing appointments, including those for second vaccination doses, will be fully honored, even if the individual does not live in NYC.
For those who meet these eligibility criteria outlined above, appointments can be made through Connect and appointment availability can be checked on the VaccineTogetherNY.org site. Information is also available at 646.697.VACC.
Other vaccination sites in NYC and in NYS can be found here:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The FAQ documents on the CUIMC COVID Vaccine Information page continue to be updated, so please check the site for the latest versions. Below is a Question of the Day that relates to topics raised in recent Town Halls:
I tested positive for COVID shortly after receiving my first dose of the vaccine. Should I still get the second dose? If so, when?
If you develop a COVID-19 infection after your first vaccine dose, data from clinical trials show that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are SAFE in people who had past COVID-19 infection. CDC recommends that people who currently have COVID-19 infection wait to be vaccinated UNTIL they meet criteria to discontinue isolation. Upon meeting the criteria to return to work and clearance by the WH&S hotline, you may receive the second dose of the vaccine. Generally, isolation can be discontinued when 1) at least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms or a positive test if a person has been asymptomatic; 2) has not had a fever in the last 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications such as aspirin or acetaminophen; and 3) symptoms are markedly improved. If you are unable to receive the second dose on the originally scheduled date, it should be given as close as possible to the original date of the appointment. To reschedule, you may do so through Connect. If you are not currently registered, you may do so here: https://www.myConnectNYC.org/newuser/. You should be able to reschedule four days after the second dose appointment is missed.
Thank you and stay safe!
Magda Sobieszczyk MD, MPH
Chief of Infectious Diseases and Co-Chair of the CUIMC COVID-19 Vaccine Committee
Melissa Stockwell MD, MPH
Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health and Co-Chair of the CUIMC COVID-19 Vaccine Committee