MCC Daily Tribune

If you are 30 years of age or older, you are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine!

New Yorkers 16 Years of Age and Older Can Begin to Schedule Appointments and Get Vaccinated Beginning April 6

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in New York. Beginning today, March 30 at 8 a.m., all New Yorkers 30 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Beginning April 6, universal eligibility goes into effect and all New Yorkers 16 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine.

Additionally, the Governor announced more than 2 million total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered at New York State-run and FEMA-assisted mass vaccination sites. Statewide, more than 9 million total doses have been administered across all vaccination sites. 171,419 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1.3 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. Delivery of the week 16 allocation begins mid-week.

"Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID. Beginning March 30, all New Yorkers age 30 or older will be able to be vaccinated, and all New Yorkers age 16 or older will be eligible on April 6, well ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the White House," Governor Cuomo said. "As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but until we get there it is more important than ever for each and every New Yorker to wear a mask, socially distance and follow all safety guidelines."

New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. For daily updates regarding the state's vaccine program, visit ny.gov/vaccinetracker.

Please note:

While MCC strongly encourages you to consider getting a COVID-19 vaccination, SUNY and MCC do not require immunization. This notification is being provided as a courtesy. You are responsible for making your own appointment with the you provider of your choice (vaccine finder).
Even after you are vaccinated, you must continue to adhere to all MCC health and safety protocols, including participating in COVID-19 testing, wearing a mask, socially distancing, and washing your hands often.
Although a certain level of immunity exists after vaccination, building immunity against COVID-19 takes time. More studies need to be conducted to determine the exact duration of immunity. It is too early to know the length of immunity at this time.
You may use up to four hours paid time off to receive the COVID vaccine. Please use the newly added “Covid-19 vaccination” code that appears in your web-based timesheet.
Faculty: Because the COVID-19 vaccination code is not associated with your accrued leave bank, please enter a comment on your monthly leave report stating “covid-19 vaccination leave taken MM-DD-YY" and the respective hours taken.

Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
03/30/2021