Finding the COVID vaccine: Pharmacies, county and state sites opening slots
As the number of New Yorkers eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine grows, locations across Long Island are gearing up to meet the demand.
CVS pharmacies will start taking appointments to vaccinate people 50 and up on Wednesday. The Nassau Coliseum vaccination site opened Tuesday and is available to any state resident who fits the eligibility requirements.
But finding an appointment will still take some patience and tenacity. A check of the state’s mass vaccination sites on Long Island, such as Jones Beach and Stony Brook University, showed no available slots Tuesday.
Here is a breakdown of some sites and locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties and how to get an appointment.
Health care workers ready to dispense vaccinations for COVID-19 Tuesday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. The site will give shots to hundreds of eligible people a day, said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Are you eligible?
The state on Monday announced that the pool of New Yorkers eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine had been expanded to include people 50 and older. It previously had been people over the age of 60.
Other categories include, but are not limited to, health care workers, first responders, essential workers, teachers and school staff, public transit employees and people with certain medical conditions that increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
For a full list, go to covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov and click on "check eligibility."
Locations operated by New York State
The state is operating vaccination sites on Long Island at Suffolk County Community College, SUNY Old Westbury, Stony Brook Southhampton, Stony Brook and Jones Beach Field 3.
Any resident of New York who meets eligibility requirements can be vaccinated at these locations. You must make an appointment either online or on the phone, as there are no walk-ins at these sites.
Appointments can be made through the "Am I Eligible" tool on the state’s website or by calling the hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
Locations operated by Nassau County
Nassau County is operating four vaccination sites, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, the Yes We Can Community Center in New Cassel, Nassau Community College in East Garden City and LIU Post in Brookville.
These centers are open to all New Yorkers who meet eligibility requirements.
To make an appointment, go to nassaucountyny.gov and click on the COVID-19 banner.
Locations operated by Suffolk County
Suffolk County operates vaccine sites at Suffolk County Community College campuses in Selden and Riverhead. Any eligible New Yorker can get vaccinated at these centers.
The county recently unveiled a new online portal where people can book appointments and preregister for future appointments. The website is vax4.suffolkcountyny.gov.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies across New York State are allowed to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to certain eligible groups: people over the age of 50, teachers and school staff and people with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of having severe illness from COVID-19.
CVS offers vaccinations at select locations on Long Island. Officials said Tuesday its website will be updated to reflect new state guidance that allows people over the age of 50 to be vaccinated.
While there was no availability as of Tuesday afternoon, company officials encouraged people to check CVS.com regularly as more appointments will be became available as more doses are received.
Walgreens is also offering vaccinations at some of its stores. Eligible customers can visit Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or call the phone scheduler at 1-800-Walgreens, available in English and Spanish, to find available vaccination appointments.
People also should check with independently owned pharmacies on Long Island to see if they are administering vaccinations.
Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop supermarkets are offering vaccines at all pharmacy locations, company officials said Tuesday.
The company said it is only approved to vaccinate people who are 50 and older, 18 and older with certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, along with public and private K-12 teachers or school faculty who live, work or study in New York.
Customers need to first complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility form, then can schedule a vaccination at stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine.
With David Reich-Hale
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
