Want a COVID-19 vaccine in the Southern Tier? County-by-county look at what's happening

As New York state continues to ramp up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, limited supplies and uncertain arrival dates are adding elements of uncertainty into the distribution of shots, despite the rollout of Phase 1B in the Southern Tier.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced late last week he would begin Phase 1B of the state's vaccine prioritization plan, it opened up eligibility for more than 3 million elderly people and certain essential workers.

Both Southern Tier medical providers and municipal leaders say plans for the quick, wide-spread administration of shots hinge on receiving adequate supplies of the vaccine from the state.

Complicating matters, according to officials in some of the Southern Tier counties, is a high percentage of resident in elderly age groups, making the availability of enough vaccine doses critical.  

Since the state expanded the eligibility, New York's online and phone systems were barraged, leading thousands to successfully book a vaccine but many others to get hit with error messages or timed-out websites as they attempted to complete a form or make a reservation.

Trouble scheduling a COVID vaccine in NY:You're not alone. Here's what to know.

Here are some of the plans that are in the works in Southern Tier counties and local VA Administration counties.

COVID-19 vaccines in Southern Tier

All vaccinations are by appointment only, and people can check their eligibility and look for appointments at different locations at covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov.

The state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline will open for scheduling vaccination appointments for eligible New Yorkers: 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).  

Veterans Administration System

There is no need for veterans to preregister or come to a local facility to sign up, according to the VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System, which includes the Bath and Canandaigua VA Medical Centers.

VA Finger Lakes has begun COVID-19 vaccinations for all veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. The local system was one of 113 VA Medical Centers across the country to receive the first supply of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Starting immediately, veterans 75 years and older will begin to receive the vaccine. Veterans are being asked not to call the VA for appointments. Medical Center staff is currently reaching out to eligible veterans to schedule appointments for the vaccine based on overall risk criteria.

“We have already identified and started to call veterans to schedule appointments for them to be vaccinated," said Bruce Tucker, director, VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System. "At this time we advise them to continue to mask, to physical distance and to practice frequent hand washing in order to do their part in getting COVID-19 under control."

Allegany County

Wellsville’s hospital is ready and waiting to take part in the next phase of vaccinations.

“Jones Memorial Hospital is ready and able to assist with group 1B vaccinations and have requested additional doses,” said Eva Benedict, CEO at Jones Memorial Hospital. “However, at this time we have not received confirmation that we will be receiving any additional doses. We will continue to work collaboratively with Allegany County Department of Health to vaccinate and protect our community as vaccine becomes available.”

The Allegany County Department of Health reported Monday it received 200 doses of the vaccine available for the 1A group. Two vaccination clinics quickly filled up. All health officials said more information about later phases will be released as it becomes available.

Broome County

Broome County officials said Monday staffing and infrastructure are in place to administer vaccines, but supplies remain the biggest obstacle.

According to County Executive Jason Garnar, about 25% of county residents who are eligible to receive the vaccine during the 1A Phase have been able to get shots.

Meanwhile, Cuomo said a mass vaccination site will be set up next week at the former Gannett Central New York Production Facility in Johnson City, a facility now owned by Binghamton University.

Broome County said Wednesday it will be set up a vaccine site at SUNY Broome Community College in the Town of Dickinson starting Jan. 18, but Garnar cautioned that while they'll have the ability to administer hundreds of doses a day, the state hasn't provided them with that amount.

"I want the vaccine yesterday," Garnar said Wednesday. "It is the most important thing to us getting back to normal here in Broome County."

Chemung County

Scheduling for Phase 1B vaccinations began on Monday, according to County Executive Christopher J. Moss.

Moss said the county received 400 doses of the vaccine last week — it’s first allotment — and another 400 doses are expected to arrive some time this week.

“Once the delivery of doses is increased by the state, we will be able to increase and prioritize the number of people being vaccinated,” Moss said.

Chemung County officials said a “high number” of county residents fall in groups 1A and 1B, requiring “thousands of doses.”

The county said vaccines will be offered at some pharmacy chains, medical’s offices, hospitals and the county health department.

The Chemung County COVID Hotline number is 873-1813.

Delaware County

Delaware County officials estimate that it will take approximately 14 weeks to vaccinate the 1A and 1B populations of the county.

“The people and facilities that are vaccinating are the same people that have been working through this entire pandemic,” said Heather Warner, Public Health Programs manager. “They are being tasked with additional jobs and maintaining the responsibility of operations. We want people to be vaccinated and we want to vaccinate, but it’s going to take time to get everyone vaccinated. Please be patient, you will be vaccinated.”

Steuben County

“Now that New York has entered Phase 1B of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, more eligible groups can register for the vaccine,” said Bryan O’Donovan, president and CEO of St. James Hospital in Hornell.

O’Donovan clarified that although St. James serves as a site to administer the vaccination, all first-dose vaccine registrations are managed by the New York State Department of Health — not by the hospital’s primary care or urgent care departments.

“The Department of Health has a system in place for people to check their eligibility and register for a vaccine at various sites,” O’Donovan said. “People should avoid calling the hospital, private care physicians or urgent care to request the vaccine, as the supply and process are managed by the health department. As vaccine becomes available to St. James Hospital, our location will be updated in the system and those meeting the criteria will be able to register for the vaccine at our hospital.”

O’Donovan added that if St. James is not listed in the database, that means they do not have the vaccine and another location will need to be selected.  

Guthrie Health, which operates Corning Hospital, is preparing for “large scale” vaccinations efforts.

In addition to its four hospitals, Guthrie is also planning to offer the vaccine to eligible recipients at nine of its regional medical office locations and is collaborating with several departments of health and several health systems in Guthrie’s 12-county service area to ensure that those eligible for the vaccine have access to it.  

Schuyler County

Schuyler County Public Health and Schuyler Hospital will partner to organize and staff COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the community as vaccine doses are received from New York state.

“Please register and get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible — getting the vaccine will help keep you, your family, and our community safe and help us all return to normal sooner,” Schuyler County Public Health Director Deborah Minor said.

Clinic details and links to register will be provided on Schuyler County Public Health’s website at www.schuylercounty.us/publichealth. New registration links will be added as doses of vaccine are received. Individuals should only register if they meet the current eligibility criteria, officials said.

“Our supply of vaccine is currently limited, so clinics are filling up quickly. We will open registration for more clinics through our website as we receive doses of vaccine from the state,” Minor added. “Please be patient and stay tuned to the local news and our website for updates and for information on how to register for a clinic.”

Tioga County

The county’s first vaccination clinic for Phase 1A was set for Wednesday and all appointments were filled. Future clinics will follow the same protocol, with an appointment needed that can be scheduled online once the county is apprised of vaccine availability.

Tioga County officials said it will “take weeks to fully vaccinate the 1B phase.”

“We will continue to add more clinics as we receive additional vaccine doses from the state, but please be patient," said Lisa McCafferty, the county Public Health director. "The vaccine will help protect our families and community, however, it will take time. Continue practicing ongoing protocols — social distancing, wear masks, if sick stay home and call your doctor.”

Future COVID-19 vaccination clinic information and registration will be posted on the Tioga County COVID-19 website and on its Facebook page. Officials will also share any additional locations where the vaccination can be obtained within Tioga County once that information is released.