Rockland County Runs Out Of Coronavirus Vaccines

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County used up its coronavirus vaccines Friday and officials on Monday were waiting for a new shipment from the federal government.

The Rockland County Department of Health received 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday and administered all of them by Friday, county Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert said Sunday.

“We train every year to perform mass vaccinations and have significant experience to draw upon after the measles outbreak of 2018-2019," said Dr. Ruppert. "Our results show that we’re able to get this vaccine into people’s arms safely and efficiently but without additional vaccine these efforts must be put on hold."

She said the county asked for another vaccine shipment Wednesday.

When more vaccines are sent, the health department will resume vaccinations in Pomona. The state has a website for people to determine if they are eligible for the vaccine.

State officials on Friday announced people 75 and older and essential workers including teachers, police, firefighters and public transit workers are eligible as of Monday.

Federal supply severely limits state health officials' ability to get New Yorkers vaccinated, as New York state is only being sent 300,000 doses a week.

So New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and be prepared to receive an appointment date as far as 14 weeks in the future.

The more than 4 million people who are now eligible to receive the vaccine dwarf the supply coming from the federal government, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Still, four weeks into vaccine distribution, the expansion of eligibility for additional New Yorkers is "a light at the end of the tunnel," Cuomo said at a briefing Monday.

It may be months before all 3 million people in phases 1a and 1b are vaccinated.

• Related: NY Vaccine Eligibility Pool To Expand

At the current rate, it would take 47 weeks to vaccinate everyone in New York, Cuomo said. To reach herd immunity, 70 percent to 90 percent of New Yorkers, or about 14 million people, need to be vaccinated, he said.

Cuomo said the state is recruiting "thousands" of new providers like pharmacies and urgent care centers to administer vaccines.