OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup and Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang recently discussed the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine locally and related vaccination clinics.

“I am happy to report that the county health department finally received enough vaccine to hold its first large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic,” said Chairman Weatherup. “This past Saturday, the health department vaccinated 961 people at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton. The clinic was well organized and ran very smoothly. I congratulate Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang for his team’s outstanding work.”

The Oswego County Health Department was joined by staff from other county departments, volunteers, the Fulton Fire Department and the Fulton School District who all worked together to coordinate the clinic and get senior citizens, first responders, frontline health care workers and teachers vaccinated.

“I want to personally thank everyone who helped with this clinic,” said Huang. “Like all we do, it was a true team effort. We have been practicing mass vaccinations for a decade and were able to put all of that into use with the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Over the last two weeks, the Oswego County Health Department has vaccinated over 1,400 people. “We estimate that roughly 4,000 county residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine either through our department or from our community health care partners in the county,” said Huang.

The current vaccine is a two-dose series. Oswego County Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg said, “Whether a person receives the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, they need to have two doses for the best protection against the coronavirus. Both doses need to be from the same manufacturer. To help this process run more smoothly, people will be scheduled an appointment for their second dose before they leave the clinic after receiving their first vaccine.”

Vaccinations are ongoing for the frontline health care workers in the Phase 1a and 1b groups as well as for individuals 65 and older, those who are immuno-compromised, first responders, public safety officers, teachers and other school staff; in-person college instructors, childcare workers, public-facing grocery store workers, transit workers and individuals living and working in homeless shelters.

The COVID-19 vaccine is becoming available through the New York State Vaccination Program; however, it is still limited. “Supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine continue to be our biggest challenge,” said Huang. “The number of doses we have received from the state have been very limited, so we are asking residents to please be patient.”

Chairman Weatherup emphasized that it will take time to get everyone vaccinated. He said, “Just vaccinating those who are currently eligible will be a months-long process, made especially challenging due to the limited vaccine allotments we receive. From week to week, we don’t know the amount of vaccine that will be sent to us until the allotment is ready to ship. This makes it very difficult to know the size of the clinic we can hold and the number of appointments that will be available.

“That being said, we are committed to getting the vaccine to all eligible residents as quickly as possible. We are in constant communication with state health officials and the Governor’s office to request more vaccines for Oswego County. As more vaccine becomes available, more clinics will be scheduled and publicized,” he finished.

There are no restrictions on receiving the vaccine in another county if the person is eligible for it and can find an available appointment. “Our goal is to get as many eligible county residents as possible vaccinated in a timely manner,” said Huang, “whether that is through the county health department or otherwise.”

People can find out if they are eligible and schedule an appointment when one becomes available through New York’s website at https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or by calling the New York State Vaccination Hotline, 1-833-NYS-4VAX (1-833-697-4829).

Sara Sunday, director of the Oswego County Office for the Aging, said those age 65 or older who do not have computer or internet access to schedule their own appointment, or who require assistance over the phone, may contact their office for assistance in registering and scheduling appointments on the New York State eligibility site. Call the Oswego County Office for the Aging weekdays at 315-349-3484.

There is no cost for the vaccine; however, a nominal administrative fee may be charged to a person’s insurance company. This is standard practice for all vaccination clinics that distribute a vaccine which has been either state or federally funded. It helps the county recoup the expense to taxpayers. If a person does not have health insurance, then the administrative fee is not charged.

The Oswego County Health Department reminds people that until enough of the population is vaccinated, we must all continue to follow COVID-19 protocols. This means wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance, avoiding unnecessary gatherings of all sizes – including those with family and friends who don’t live with you, and washing hands frequently to prevent the spread of the virus.

Vaccine information and registration links are also posted at  https://health.oswegocounty.com/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/covid-19_vaccine.php.

Call the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 if you have any questions. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the sole local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response over all persons and entities within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response and reporting.

Volunteer Nurse Ellen Holst administers the COVID-19 vaccine to David Stinson, a first responder member of the Oswego County Search and Rescue Team, at Saturday’s clinic in Fulton. More than 900 people received their COVID-19 shots during the Oswego County Health Department’s mass immunization clinic.

Members of the Oswego County COVID-19 planning team work together to cover all aspects of planning a mass vaccination clinic. From left are Oswego County Fire Coordinator Donald Forbes, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Renee Fox, and Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg.

The Fulton School District hosted the Oswego County Health Department’s first mass vaccination clinic Jan. 16. Additional clinics will be announced as more vaccine becomes available from New York State.