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

Dear Colleagues,

Congrats to the Armory team and all of the volunteers for passing the milestone of over 50,000 doses being administered!

The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for individuals 18 and older. The CDC’s guidance document for clinicians on the use of COVID-19 vaccines has been updated to include the J&J vaccine as well as some changes for the mRNA vaccines.

Please remember to continue to wear face coverings (preferably surgical masks or other two-ply face coverings), practice physical distancing, and wash hands frequently, even after you have been vaccinated. These measures, in addition to vaccinations, minimize the opportunity for the virus and the disease to spread.

The Armory vaccination site is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information is available on CUIMC’s COVID Vaccine Information page.

CUIMC Employees

  • First and second doses: Employees of Columbia, Weill Cornell and NYP who are in category 1a (patient facing) can receive their first and second dose of the vaccine at the Armory. No appointment is necessary for first doses. Appointments are scheduled for second doses, but you can go to the Armory anytime on the day that you are scheduled.
  • All faculty and staff age 65 or older, and those 18 and over with certain underlying chronic medical conditions, can receive a vaccine at any of the NYC or NYS public vaccination sites, or at the Armory if they are NYC residents. Appointments are required, and scheduling information is available at the VaccineTogetherNY website.

Patient and Community Vaccinations at the Armory

  • All persons 65 or older, and those 18 and over with certain underlying chronic medical conditions, are eligible to receive the vaccine at any of the NYC or NYS public vaccination sites, or at the Armory if they are NYC residents. Appointments are required, and scheduling information is available at the VaccineTogetherNY website.
  • Eligible patients of Columbia, Weill Cornell, or NewYork-Presbyterian can receive the vaccine at the Armory and appointments can be scheduled through Connect. Information is updated as it becomes available on the VaccineTogetherNY website.Information has been sent to all eligible patients.

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.

As of today, over 47,000 faculty, staff, and students at NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell, and Columbia have received their first dose of the vaccine and more than 44,000 have received second doses. This includes over 31,000 first and second doses administered on the CUIMC campus alone.

Below is the Question of the Day:

I traveled outside of the tristate area. If I have a negative COVID test result on day 1 post-travel and am back to direct patient care, will I be able to get the vaccination, or do I need to wait until after a negative test on day 4 post-travel?

As long as you are allowed to work and not on home quarantine or home isolation, you may get vaccinated after returning from travel. Therefore, once you have tested negative on day 1 post travel and are back to work, as long as you have no symptoms of COVID-19, you can get vaccinated before your day 4 test.

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