County establishes COVID-19 vaccine registry in biggest accessibility breakthrough yet

TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY – The Tompkins County Department of Health announced today that it is asking eligible people to complete a registry form that will allow the Department of Health to contact them directly whenever a new COVID-19 vaccination dose package will be available.

The registry probably signals the biggest step forward in local vaccine accessibility, at least in terms of when to sign up for appointments and when those appointments are available. People who are already eligible for the vaccine constitute the target population, so they can be notified when there is another group of vaccination doses in the county. Caregivers, family members or friends of eligible individuals can complete the form on their behalf. The form is available here.

The registry is not meant to notify a person when they become eligible, but only for eligible people to know when they may actually be able to receive their first vaccine and begin the immunization process, which requires two vaccines for the most effective immunity. As eligibility increases, more people will be able to join the registry.

“This registry is intended to assist TCHD in the ongoing planning for a more adaptable and efficient vaccine distribution in Tompkins County,” the department said in its statement. “Eligible people should continue to seek appointments for available vaccines from pharmacies and state-run sites if they can. This registry does not replace these processes. TCHD continues to encourage 100% of eligible people to get vaccinated when they can.

Eligible individuals can also register by phone by calling 2-1-1 or (877-211-8667). If someone indicates that they do not have internet access, they can also be contacted by phone to schedule a vaccination appointment when possible – although an appointment is not guaranteed by joining the register.

Individuals who complete the registry form can expect to receive a confirmation email from covid19vaccines @ tompkins-co.org, but should not call the health service itself to find its place on the list. According to the ministry, the registry will be used to assess demand, communicate with eligible populations, and review transportation needs to increase equity of access.

“This registry will help us identify demand in different priority groups and help us communicate directly with eligible populations,” said Director of Public Health Frank Kruppa. “We need everyone in our community to get immunized as soon as they can. We recognize there continues to be some confusion and difficulties in finding vaccine appointments, and we hope this will be a useful tool for TCHD to make this process more efficient and adaptable for the community.

If you are currently not eligible for the vaccine, TCHD encourages you to sign up to receive email updates. TCHD will invite more people to join the registry as eligibility expands.