Covid vaccines for underlying conditions start soon: how to prove you have one

Albany, NY – New Yorkers with underlying illnesses seeking a Covid-19 vaccine will need to prove they have one, Governor Andrew Cuomo said today.

The state will require a doctor’s letter, medical documentation proving the condition, or a certification signed by vaccine recipients stating that they have a condition that qualifies them for a shot.

The state will check the evidence to make sure the rules are followed, Cuomo said. Some level of fraud is to be expected, he added.

Anyone who falsely certifies that they have a condition that qualifies them for a shot will face law enforcement, Cuomo said.

“Everyone wants this vaccine,” he says. “You have people who are desperate.”

New Yorkers with underlying illnesses will be able to make vaccine appointments starting February 14 at state-run mass vaccination sites like the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Photography at these sites will begin on February 15.

Local health services will also be allowed to provide vaccines to people with underlying illnesses. They will decide for themselves how and when to schedule the dates and what kind of proof they need, Cuomo said.

The underlying conditions that will qualify you for a shot include:

• Cancer, current or in remission
• Chronic kidney disease
• Lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome
• Heart disease, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and high blood pressure
• Weakened immune system following organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, immune deficiencies, use of corticosteroids, use of other drugs that weaken the immune system or other causes
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell anemia or thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease
• Liver disease

These conditions affect millions of New Yorkers. State websites for vaccine registration are likely to close Sunday when appointments open for people with these conditions.

“There will be a crush,” said Melissa DeRosa, one of Cuomo’s best assistants. “It won’t be perfect.”

She asked those looking for dates to be patient.

Cuomo announced last week that vaccine eligibility would extend to those with underlying conditions that put them at increased risk for Covid.

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