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STATEN ISLAND, NY – The state has expanded the group of people who will be eligible for a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to include those with certain comorbidities as of February 15.
Ninety-four percent of COVID-19-related deaths in the state were from people with underlying illnesses and comorbidities.
Doses of the vaccine, which have been scarce in the city and state, will come from local hospitals that no longer need them to immunize staff members – those in Group 1a of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. .
Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that hospitals have until Feb. 15 to vaccinate all staff or that their supply will be reallocated to local Department of Health vaccination sites for administration.
Cuomo’s office published the following list of eligible comorbidities that pose a risk of serious illness from COVID-19:
- Cancer (current or in remission, including cancers related to 9/11)
- Chronic kidney disease
- Lung disease including, but not limited to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate to severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11-related lung disease
- Intellectual and developmental disability, including Down syndrome
- Heart disease including, but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including, but not limited to solid organ transplant or blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, corticosteroid use, use other immune weakening drugs or other causes
- Severe obesity (body mass index 40 kg / m2) and obesity (body mass index 30 kg / m2 or more but less than 40 kg / m2)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell anemia or thalassemia
- Diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2
- Cerebrovascular disease, which affects the blood vessels and blood supply to the brain
- Neurological disorders, including, but not limited to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
- Liver disease
“New Yorkers with co-morbidities and underlying conditions exist throughout the population of the state – it is our teachers, our lawyers and our carpenters, in addition to the doctors who protect us every day and they constitute a population. very touched, ”Cuomo said.
The state-released list of comorbidities is almost identical to the list first released by the Centers for Disease Control in late December, but they were not eligible for vaccination until now.
Those with the comorbidities mentioned above can start making appointments for Feb. 15, Cuomo said. However, as of Saturday afternoon, the city and state websites were not yet reflecting the updated information.
Last week, the city also expanded its vaccine eligibility list after obtaining state approval to include restaurant workers, for-hire drivers, residents and workers living in residential areas. group homes for people with intellectual disabilities.
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