NY’s lowers age eligibility for Covid vaccine to 50 and older, starting Tuesday

Posted 22 March 2021 at 1:12 pm

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that starting tomorrow at 8 a.m., New Yorkers 50 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine.

(Editor’s Note: The eligibility was lowered from 65 to 60 years old on March 10.)

The governor said 103,425 doses have been administered across New York’s vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days.

More than 1.65 million doses have been administered through New York mass vaccination sites and FEMA sites to date. Delivery of the week 15 allocation begins mid-week.

“We continue to kick vaccinations into overdrive throughout the state by expanding eligibility, establishing new vaccination sites and allowing providers to reach new populations. More New Yorkers are getting vaccinated every single day, but we still have a long way to go before defeating the Covid beast and reaching safety,” Governor Cuomo said. “New York’s distribution network is at the ready to handle an expected increase in supply, and we’re excited to expand eligibility even further to New Yorkers over the age of 50 as we move to get through the Covid-19 pandemic.”

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. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

  • Doctor’s letter, or
  • Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
  • Signed certification