ALBANY – Albany County announced on Wednesday that it has launched a pre-registration option on its website for health professionals and key personnel currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
County Executive Dan McCoy said the pre-registration system is intended to facilitate the vaccine sign-up process for those in state categories 1a and 1b who have not yet been vaccinated. The county published online registration events for vaccination clinics later in the week earlier on Tuesday, but the slots fill up almost immediately – leaving many frustrated when their turn will come.
“No more ‘Hunger Games’, folks,” McCoy said Wednesday. “It took a little longer than I wanted … but actually the biggest complaint is that people are fighting to get online, the (clinics) fill up quickly and they’re out of the box.”
The county encourages 1a and 1b employees to pre-register through the site, which is available at albany.518c19.com. Although people 65 and older are currently also eligible for vaccination, the province does not have the authority to vaccinate them.
Coronavirus Sources
Detailed map: Check out Times Union’s New York Coronavirus Case Tracker.
To test: Local test sites for COVID-19. Coronavirus Test Results for Every County in New York.
Vaccinations: Follow the rollout of vaccines in New York. Plus, get answers to common questions and submit them here.
School updates: COVID-19 cases and quarantines in schools in the Capital Region.
Lost Lives: Share a memory of a resident of the Capital Region who died of COVID-19.
Daily Email: Sign up for the free Coronavirus Updates newsletter.
McCoy said people can list any chronic health concerns on the site. People with certain chronic health conditions will be eligible for vaccination starting next week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday, and the provinces have been given permission to vaccinate them. They are also encouraged to pre-register through the site.
“Starting next week, Albany County will be able to vaccinate (people) of any age with co-morbidity, including 65+,” County spokeswoman Mary Rozak said in an email. “We encourage everyone to pre-register and when the time comes for them to be eligible, they will be on the list.”
Those who complete the form will be asked how they would like to be notified, including via text message, email or phone call.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said the pre-registration form will also be available on the city’s website, and people helping friends or loved ones to sign up are welcome to complete the form on behalf of the other person.
“The great thing about this is that if you aren’t computer savvy, someone can help you fill it out,” she said. So you can fill it in for someone to be their helper. If you have a senior who you don’t want to be called to schedule the appointment, are you their assistant or are you their child and want to be called, you can enter that information So we’re really trying to make sure that we can contact people in a way that will be effective. “
Sheehan noted that the form also asks for an address, which will become useful when providers are looking for stock-focused vaccination clinics targeting particular housing projects.
“The (Albany) College of Pharmacy, for example, has been a great partner,” she said. So if they get 60 vaccines and they say they want to focus on seniors in a particular housing complex, they can go to this list and pick up anyone who’s already pre-registered from that address. to have a tool that will help them reach the currently highly underrepresented population across the country … to access the vaccine. ‘
Other local counties have also switched to a pre-registration option to reduce anxiety.
In fact, Schenectady County has encouraged people 65 and older to pre-register on their site in case the county eventually gets permission to vaccinate that age group.
Patricia Fahy, John McDonald and Carrie Woerner of the local council issued a joint statement earlier this week urging the state to create its own pre-registration tool. Right now, people are forced to call or visit dozens of different provider websites every day – including the State Department of Health’s sign-up website for mass vaccination sites – to try to sign up for a vaccine, often without a waiting list or pre-registration . option that lets them know when slots become available.
“The vaccine distribution process is confusing, frustrating and makes an already anxious population even more,” they wrote. “We need a clear system that aligns supply and demand. We recommend that the Governor and the Ministry of Health move to a pre-registration system that allows the state and provinces to simplify the planning process, eliminate competition for vaccine appointments, travel several hours to get a vaccination and generally reduce the stress people experience. “
Where do we get our information from?
We monitor updates from local, regional and national governments and verify facts or data before publishing it. Sources we rely on include:
Local sources: Daily reports from the health departments of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington County.
State resources: The New York State Department of Health and the Department of Health School’s COVID Report Card.
National resources: National data on verified test sites composed of local health departments, healthcare providers and cities, counties and states. We also rely on national, state and regional data from the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Case Tracker and The COVID Tracking Project.
Other sources: Vaccine information collected from government agencies, the companies that manufacture the vaccines, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We also turn to doctors, nurses, scientists and other public health experts. We strive for accuracy in our reporting, but sometimes new developments can happen quickly. If we discover that information is incorrect, we will update it as soon as possible. You can help by reporting any discrepancies to [email protected]. Read more about our coronavirus coverage.