The New York State Department of Health on Sunday issued new COVID vaccine criteria, enabling people of all ages who suffer from certain conditions to begin to sign up for appointments.
Up to now, only those 65 and older (and certain first responders and front line workers) were eligible for vaccination in New York State. Anyone over age 65 may still register. But under the new criteria, New Yorkers of all ages may sign up if they can attest to having one or more of the following:
- Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
- Chronic kidney disease
- Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
- Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
- Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
- Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
- Liver disease
The Health Department also published this disclaimer: The list is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as New York State obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.
To sign up for an appointment, visit covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov and use the Am I Eligible tab to being the process. The appointment website will be updated regularly, adding new appointments, so check back frequently.
Once you’ve established your eligibility, you’ll arrive at a list of locations based on distance from your home ZIP code — if you cannot get through to your selected location on your first try, refresh your browser and try again. The website is likely to experience very heavy traffic and it may take persistence to get through.
One you do get through, you may automatically be placed in a queue for up to an hour. Make sure you set your computer to stay awake so that you won’t lose the connection. When your turn comes up, it may be helpful to select a date that has numerous appointments available, so that you don’t waste time chasing an appointment that may be taken by someone else. We went for the one with 12 slots and got in with just one remaining. As of around 12:30 PM on Sunday, there were plenty of appointments left at Stony Brook starting in mid-March.
Good luck!
