New York could receive its first vaccines as early as this weekend

New York State could receive its first coronavirus vaccines as early as Sunday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday, although the general public is not expected to have access until February.

The US drug control agency, the FDA, is expected to give the green light soon after the publication of the opinion of its advisory committee, expected Thursday.

For Andrew Cuomo, the first delivery of the vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech, or 170,000 doses (including 72,000 for New York City), could then arrive in New York State “as early as this weekend”.

The first vaccines will be intended for staff and residents of retirement homes, as well as hospital staff, considered to be at high risk.

The vaccination campaign will then be gradually broadened, until it is open to the general public by “early February”, “perhaps at the end of January,” said the Democratic governor at a press conference.

The latter insisted on the fact that the distribution of the vaccine should be “equitable” and benefit everyone, including the poorest populations, who have been the hardest hit by the pandemic.

New York State also wants to ensure that undocumented migrants do not refuse vaccination for fear of being brought to justice.

He therefore concluded an agreement with the federal authorities ruling out the transmission at the national level of data allowing the identification of vaccinated persons.

Andrew Cuomo finally plans to launch an information campaign to educate the general public about vaccination, he said, recalling that about half of New Yorkers today say they do not want to receive the injections.

“You cannot reach 75%” of the vaccinated population, the minimum threshold for the population to be immunized, “if 50% do not go,” he acknowledged. “Even I am able to do this calculation.”

According to him, we must “dispel the skepticism that currently exists”.

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