January 8, 2021: Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccinations are continuing today, January 8, and the focus still remains on vaccinating individuals who are directly interacting with patients and all care team members and staff who provide in-person support to those delivering patient care in person. As a reminder, students beginning clinical rotations are also eligible and encouraged to get their vaccine. We will keep everyone updated as more groups are added, so please stay tuned. We ask again that you please do not come to be vaccinated if you are not in the group listed above.

**For this Saturday, January 9, through Monday, January 11, there will be a change to the hours and locations for vaccine distribution**

All 1st and 2nd dose vaccines will be administered within Myrna Daniels Auditorium ONLY.

Hours of Operation:

  • Saturday, January 9: 12 pm – 8 pm
  • Sunday, January 10: 6 am – 2 pm
  • Monday, January 11: 6 am – 9 pm

For today, Friday, January 8, and then resuming on Tuesday, January 11, vaccines are being administered at CUIMC/NYP in the usual locations.

First Dose Vaccinations

  • First dose vaccination on the NYP/CUIMC campus will be given ONLY in the Alumni Auditorium on the 1st Floor of the William Black Building, located at 650 West 168th Street (corner of 168th and Fort Washington Avenue) during the hours of 6 am to 9 pm Monday through Friday.
  • Columbia employees who work at the Allen Hospital and Lawrence Hospital can be vaccinated there on site, 6:45 am to 4 pm through Saturday this week.

Second Dose Vaccinations

  • Second dose vaccinations will be administered at the same location where you received your first dose. Please note that ICU and ED staff who received their first dose at satellite locations should come back for the second dose at the central location (i.e. Myrna Daniels or MSCHONY) as directed by your department.
  • Please come, when possible, for your second dose at the scheduled time as it will be critical in helping NYP make staffing and vaccine supply decisions based on those appointments, but please do keep to your scheduled day. Please note that many second dose appointments are now generically being made at 7 am on the day it is due, but you do not need to come at 7 am. You can come anytime that day but again please make sure to come that day.
  • Second dose reminders will be sent via Connect. For questions about where/when to go for your second dose on each campus, please go to the Employee Information section on the VaccineTogetherNY.org site. This link also contains information about how to sign up for Connect.

As a reminder, while CUIMC employees should be vaccinated through the vaccination program with NYP, we know that many of you have family members and friends who are also frontline workers and may be wondering how they can be vaccinated. As of this week, eligible New Yorkers can get the COVID-19 vaccine at sites located throughout the city. Please see this website for further details for eligible groups, locations, and scheduling: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccine-locations.page

As of today, over 31,000 staff at NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell, and Columbia have been vaccinated. This includes over 10,500 individuals on the Columbia Campus who are working in patient care areas, with over 5,800 of them Columbia employees and students. The CDC reports that there have been over 5.9 million people who have received their first dose of the vaccine.

Please join us for Town Halls scheduled next week to answer any questions you may have.

CUIMC Vaccine Town Halls With Drs. Anil Rustgi, Melissa Stockwell, Magda Sobieszczyk, Olajide Williams, Mary D’Alton, and Donna Lynne


Seminar on Structural Racism and the COVID-19 Vaccine

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 are the Questions of the Day:

What are some of the reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine? Do those change for the second dose?

While some people have no reaction to the vaccine, sometimes after vaccination the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal. The most common reactions reported are soreness or redness at the injection site. Besides fever, less common reactions include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and joint aches for a limited time, and these reactions are more likely to be experienced with the second dose.

I had the Pfizer vaccine and had a reaction 8 hours after the shot. My reaction included chills, muscle aches, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. I was fine after 24 hours. Should I expect my next shot to be worse?

The reactions you had and their limited duration are well described following the COVID-19 vaccine and are evidence that your body is mounting an immune response. It is unpredictable if you will have the same reactions following the second dose. Reactions after the second dose are still described as mild to moderate, last a short time, and respond to Tylenol and to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Thank you!

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