Governor Cuomo Announces Opening Dates and Scheduling Information for State-FEMA Vaccination Sites Statewide

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the opening dates and scheduling information for the six community-based vaccination sites being established through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Specifically, the sites located in Brooklyn and Queens will begin vaccinations on Wednesday, February 24, with the Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Yonkers sites slated to begin vaccinations on March 3. The Queens and Brooklyn sites will operate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day. The Brooklyn and Queens sites each have the capacity to administer 3,000 does every day, while the sites in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Yonkers have the capacity to administer 1,000 doses per day.

Eligible New Yorkers can begin scheduling appointments for the Brooklyn and Queens sites at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 20 by utilizing New York's 'Am I Eligible' website or by calling the state's COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). Appointment scheduling will then open for the Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and Albany sites at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24. For the first week of scheduling, appointments at these six sites statewide are initially reserved specifically for New Yorkers currently eligible for vaccination living in areas with low vaccination rates in counties and boroughs. After one week, appointments at each site will then be made available to all residents of the site's host county, borough or specified target region.

"COVID created low tide in America, and all the ugliness, structural racism, injustice and disparity lurking beneath the surface was exposed," Governor Cuomo said. "We know that communities of color suffered the most and from day one we've made the fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine a priority. With the opening of these sites, we will be making a dramatic impact on some of our hardest hit communities to further bolster the work we're doing on the ground to get shots in arms. I thank the Biden administration for their partnership in making these locations a reality."

While COVID-19 has had a damaging impact on the nation writ large, poor communities and communities of color have been particularly devastated by this virus, with Black and Latino people dying at a higher rate than white people. Since the beginning of the vaccine distribution process, another concerning trend has emerged - hesitancy towards the vaccine, especially in the Black community. With a large number of the essential workers coming from communities of color, these New Yorkers face an increased risk of contracting the virus simply due to the nature of their work. This has made it all the more important to not only continue working to instill confidence in the vaccine, but to also break down access barriers and ensure it is available directly within these communities.

Location information and hours for the six sites are below:

Brooklyn: Medgar Evers College
231 Crown Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Hours: 8 am - 8pm beginning February 24
Eligible Zip Codes: 11206, 11221, 11216, 11238, 11225, 11213, 11233, 11207, 11208, 11236, 11212, 11203, 11226, 11210

Queens: York College – Physical Education Building
160-02 Liberty Avenue
Jamaica, NY 11451
Hours: 8 am - 8pm beginning February 24
Eligible Zip Codes: 11418, 11419, 11420, 11435, 11436, 11439, 11432, 11433, 11434, 11423, 11412, 11413, 11427, 11428, 11429, 11411, 11422, 11691, 11692, 11693

Buffalo: Delavan Grider Community Center
877 East Delavan Avenue
Buffalo, NY
Eligible Zip Codes: 14209, 14201, 14208, 14213, 14211, 14215, 14214, 14204, 14222, 14212

Rochester: Former Kodak Hawkeye Parking Lot
1345 St. Paul Street
Rochester, NY
Eligible Zip Codes: 14605, 14613, 14611, 14608, 14621, 14619, 14606, 14615, 14614, 14609, 14604, 14603

Yonkers and Mount Vernon: New York National Guard Amory
2 Quincy Place
Yonkers, NY
Eligible Zip Codes: 10705, 10701, 10550, 10553, 10704, 10703, 10552

Albany, Schenectady, Troy: Washington Avenue Armory
195 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY
Eligible Zip Codes: 12202, 12206, 12210, 12209, 12207, 12222, 12180, 12307, 12308, 12305, 12304

With the support of FEMA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense and other federal agencies, these sites will mobilize federal clinical and non-clinical staff and contractors who will work with the National Guard, New York State, local leaders, and community based organizations to establish and operate these sites. Each location will be tailored to meet the needs of the specific community it is serving.

In late 2020, the Governor announced the launch of New York's Vaccine Equity Task Force chaired by Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, and Healthfirst President & CEO Pat Wang. Since its establishment, the Task Force has continued work to ensure vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind by breaking down the barriers to vaccination and ensuring there is equitable distribution of the vaccine across the state.

Additionally, New York has established more than 90 temporary community-based 'pop up' vaccination sites at churches, community centers and public housing complexes directly within communities across the state which have been underserved by traditional health care systems. Since January 15, these sites have enabled approximately 42,500 New Yorkers to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose at these community-based pop up sites. After the administration of first doses, sites are then re-established three weeks later to administer second doses.

New York will continue to establish these pop-up sites until they have been placed at all 33 NYCHA Senior Housing Developments, which house more than 7,600 seniors. Pop-up locations will also continue to be established at other public housing complexes statewide, as well as at more than 300 churches and cultural centers which have volunteered to house these sites through Governor Cuomo's Vaccine Equity Task Force.