Cuomo: New York plans to work with feds on statewide COVID-19 vaccine effort

New York is crafting a statewide coronavirus vaccine strategy that will be implemented in concert with the federal government, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday.

The statewide distribution of a vaccine, which is currently unavailable, would be a daunting task far beyond anything New York has confronted logistically in battling the virus that has upended daily life, Cuomo said.

At a coronavirus briefing in Manhattan, Cuomo noted the state has conducted more than 12 million COVID-19 tests in the past seven months, underscoring the enormous challenge of quickly vaccinating nearly 20 million New Yorkers.

"This is a massive undertaking," Cuomo said. "This is a larger operational undertaking I would argue than anything we have done during COVID to date."

Cuomo said the statewide vaccine effort is still in its draft stage but doses would be administered in phases among the population when they become available. The vaccine likely would be administered in two doses, probably 21 to 28 days apart. It is not clear how the program would be funded.

Areas of the state with "high COVID-19 prevalence" would be prioritized throughout the distribution process. Health care workers in patient-care settings, long-term care facility workers and the facilities' most at-risk residents would be the first to get vaccinated under guidelines presented by the governor.

Other essential front-line workers that interact with the public and other long-term care facility residents would be vaccinated in Phase 2. Phase 3 would include those over 65 and those under 65 with existing health conditions. All other essential workers would be vaccinated in Phase 4. All healthy adults and children would have access to the vaccination in Phase 5.

With many vaccines requiring two doses, potentially 40 million shots would be needed for New York residents, Cuomo added.

The National Governors Association, which is chaired by Cuomo, on Sunday submitted a list of questions to the Trump administration seeking guidance on effective vaccine implementation, the governor said.

When asked if he is confident the federal government will provide the needed guidance, Cuomo asked and answered his own question.

"Am I confident about the competence of this federal administration or the substance of this federal administration? No. I think I’ve made that abundantly clear. But you do the best you can in every situation," Cuomo said.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said the governor was on target for seeking information now, months before the first vaccine is expected to be approved.

"When the vaccine is licensed, it’s too late," said Nachman, who is a member of Cuomo's independent clinical advisory task force that will study vaccines approved by the federal government and advise New York State on their effectiveness. "You need to do all of the planning now."

Complicating logistics, she said, is the fact that most nursing homes and some hospitals may not have refrigerators capable of storing vaccines at 80 degrees below zero. The state also must carefully track who was administered which vaccine and when and ensure there is enough for everyone to get a second dose.

"You can’t mix and match the doses," Dr. Nachman said. "You can’t get dose one from one company and dose two from a different company."

The draft plan says the state would work with local governments to establish regional storage sites and could potentially store the vaccines in "pizza box-like containers" with dry ice. The state will expand its New York State Immunization Information System to track vaccine distribution, according to the report.

The program’s success also depends on a making information readily available when vaccines are approved, Nachman noted. An August nextLI survey found that only 53% of Long Islanders said they would get the vaccine when approved.

"Achieving high rates of vaccination will depend upon a successful and robust public education campaign and properly executed communication strategy," the report states.

Meanwhile, the state will continue its strategy of targeting "micro clusters" to limit the spread when outbreaks pop up in areas such as neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens and in parts of Rockland and Orange counties in the Hudson Valley, Cuomo said.

The governor said the statewide rate of people positive for the coronavirus stood at 1.08%. On Saturday, seven people statewide died of the virus.

Nassau has a positivity rate at 1.1%, County Executive Laura Curran said Sunday in a statement. Sixty-five COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in the county, Curran said, with 15 in intensive care units and nine on ventilators.

"We are keeping an eye on disease activity throughout the County and are working with the State to expand testing to areas of concern starting this week," Curran said. "While we continue to make remarkable progress in our fight against this virus, we need to keep it up by doing what we know works — get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed, wear a mask and avoid large gatherings."

Separately, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Sunday urged the federal government to release $9 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services earmarked for a COVID-19 testing and tracing program.

"That effort will cost money," Schumer said. "The federal government said it would pay for it but so far they are holding back the money."

Schumer (D-N.Y.) said coronavirus cases are on the rise across the country. Like Cuomo, the senator warned that cold weather this winter could mean a second wave. Schumer called on the federal government to institute a "robust" testing and tracing program to stem a second wave.

The Senate minority leader said New York City alone will require 100,000 tests a day.

"The dithering can’t continue," Schumer said. "We need action now.

Asked for comment, the White House on Sunday forwarded a letter sent Friday to Cuomo by Douglas Hoelscher, the president's director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Hoelscher notes that Health and Human Services officials have "reached out to begin coordinating a meeting between you both, Secretary Azar and relevant officials."

The letter indicates vaccine distribution plans have been discussed in three briefing calls over the past month.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a 57-page road map for states outlining the Trump administration’s vaccine distribution plan. The plan calls for a joint effort with states, noting that the federal government will provide the vaccine, syringes and alcohol swabs. States must provide other medical supplies including gloves and bandages.

Even with the outline in hand, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told lawmakers in September that states will need at least $6 billion in federal funding to cover the cost of supplies and training.

"The time is now for us to be able to get those resources out to the states, and we currently don’t have those resources," Redfield told a Senate panel on Sept. 16.

Congressional negotiators have yet to reach a compromise on a coronavirus relief bill, and it’s unclear if they will reach a deal before Election Day.

Trump, during a campaign stop Friday in Fort Myers, Florida, said seniors will be "first in line for the vaccine." Trump said the federal government had partnered with CVS and Walgreens to provide the vaccines at senior homes once it becomes available.