Ulster Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Plan Announced
KINGSTON, NY — Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced Tuesday significant elements of Ulster County’s Vaccine Distribution Plan. The county has developed its plan in partnership with the Mid-Hudson Regional Vaccine Hub, led by WMC Health, and the New York State Department of Health.
Ryan said the county selected the Kate Walton Field House at Kingston High School as its primary vaccine distribution site and The Ellenville Regional Hospital Center as its secondary distribution site.
Those two locations will be key to the county’s efforts to ensure all residents can receive the coronavirus vaccine rapidly, safely, and equitably, officials said.
These sites will serve as a central component to expanding access to the vaccine through a multi-faceted approach in addition to eventual distribution at hospitals, health care facilities, pharmacies and other partners throughout the county.
“Ensuring we distribute the vaccine safely, quickly, and equitably is the most complex and critical phase of our entire pandemic response,” Ryan said.
“While we are still months away from the vaccine being widely available to the public at-large, the county has a robust plan in place to rapidly scale up distribution once the vaccine is made available to us," he said. "The selection of the county-led Kingston and Ellenville vaccine distribution sites will allow more residents to receive the vaccine swiftly and safely while also prioritizing equity at the center of our response.”
Health officials said the county will be able to perform up to 50,000 vaccinations a month at these county-led facilities. The primary vaccination distribution site in Kingston will be equipped to be able to perform up to 45,000 vaccinations per month and will be open seven days a week. The Ellenville site will be able to perform up to 5,000 vaccinations per month to start and will be open Monday through Friday.
In addition, the county is coordinating closely with other key partners — including hospitals, health care facilities, pharmacies and providers — to add additional vaccination capacity throughout the county.
The county’s vaccine distribution plan emphasizes a strong focus on reaching underserved populations, with the selection of these sites aiding in ensuring fair and equal access to the vaccine, according to a spokesperson.
Ulster will continue to follow the state’s guidelines on the phased distribution of vaccines and encourages residents to familiarize themselves with the phases and identify what phase they are in by checking the state website here.
The Kingston site will begin operations Jan. 11 and the Ellenville site will begin operations Jan. 14 for eligible groups specified in Phase 1 including health personnel, EMS, and residents and staff at congregate facilities.
For more information and questions, please visit the Ulster County COVID-19 Website, or call the Recovery Service Center at 845-443-8888.
This article originally appeared on the Mid Hudson Valley Patch
