HV Couple Caught In NY Contradictions On Vaccine Eligibility

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Two educators who live in Rockland County and work in New Jersey have been caught in a frustrating cycle as vaccine appointments have been canceled, rescheduled and canceled again while state officials have given contradictory orders over whether they're eligible.

It's just another example of the inconsistency in New York state's coronavirus vaccine rollout that has caused so much anxiety for residents, said Rockland County Executive Ed Day.

"I feel terrible for this couple and anyone else in their position who were told they were eligible only to be turned away or canceled on. Our Department of Health will be reaching out to once again schedule an appointment for them to receive the vaccine, we will make it right," Day told Patch. "In the meantime, New York State needs to get this straightened out before anyone else is hurt, confused or aggravated by this situation."

The problem started when Lindsay Richmond arrived at the Westchester County Center for vaccine appointments, having filled out the state's "Am I Eligible" form, and was told she was not in fact eligible because she worked over the border in Bergen County, New Jersey. She's a teacher and he works in school IT, so he canceled his later appointment.

After seeing a report on their plight in The Journal News, Rockland officials did some research; local officials were told by health officials in the state's regional office that the Richmonds were in fact in the eligible 1b category.

So Rockland officials reached out to Richmond and their husband and offered them shots, which they were scheduled to receive Friday morning.

Then Thursday night, county spokesman John Lyon told Patch, he was contacted by someone from the governor's office and told the Richmonds could not be vaccinated. A follow-up call saying the same thing was made Friday morning to Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Lyon said.

So Rockland officials canceled the Richmonds' Friday morning vaccination appointment.

Then a journalist asked Cuomo about the case during his Friday coronavirus briefing. Cuomo said he wasn't aware of the issue and called it "a mindbender."

Now Rockland health officials have rescheduled the Richmonds' vaccinations for Sunday.

"I feel terrible for them," Lyon told Patch. "This is completely insane."

Lindsay Richmond said she is concerned about the large number of New Yorkers who work in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut who just like them had made appointments but were turned away, or who couldn't book appointments after the state changed the rules.

As for their Sunday appointment, she wants to be excited but is afraid to. "I've been denied now twice so I don't really get my hopes up too high," she told Patch.