COVID NY update: State has run out of COVID vaccine and uses 2nd dose as 1st dose up to federal government, says Cuomo

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) – Both New York City and New York State are completely dry from the covid vaccines, and the next shipment isn’t expected until early next week.

The news comes because more and more hospitals are canceling vaccination appointments without new appointments until Monday.

15 vaccine centers have also been closed.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo blames the now-former Trump administration for opening too many categories of eligibility, without increasing the offer.

‘It should have opened as you assigned. Either way, that’s not what we did, it’s not what they did. And now you have a period of confusion and fear because you are trying to hit seven million people at 250,000 a week, ‘Cuomo said.

Another quarter of a million doses will arrive in time for next week, but state officials say that’s far from enough.

Some have suggested using second doses that are in storage as first doses.

During a visit to a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up site at a NYCHA complex in Brooklyn Saturday, Cuomo said this would only be possible with the cooperation of the federal government.

“The reason the federal government has to agree is because they have to agree that they will then send you enough second doses in the future. dose. dose for them, “Cuomo said.

Health experts say administering the second dose of the vaccine within the time frame outlined by federal guidelines is critical to ensure long-term protection.

So far, more than a million people in the state have received their first dose of the vaccine.

In a briefing on Friday, Cuomo said deliveries for the week of six allocations, approximately 250,400 doses, are underway, but those deliveries “are delivered by the federal government in different ways and arrive at different times during the week.”

The state can administer about 80,000 doses a day and could easily do 100,000 a day, Cuomo said.

“When the vaccines arrive, our goal is to get them armed as soon as possible. 250,400 doses per week is not enough,” said Cuomo.

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