When can you get a COVID-19 vaccine in New York? It depends on who you are.

The vaccine is being made available in stages. It's being given to people who work in health care and are at increased risk of getting the coronavirus first. This includes people who take care of COVID-19 patients or work in areas of a facility where COVID-19 patients are seen. The vaccine will also be made available to first responders and nursing home residents and staff.

As of Monday, January 11, anyone ins Phase 1a and segments of Phase 1b are eligible for the vaccines. Eligible groups include doctors, nurses and health care workers, people age 65 and over, first responders, teachers, public transit workers, grocery store workers and public safety workers. Residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities will continue to be vaccinated through a federal program, which the state is providing resources to accelerate.

    • Health care workers who are part of Phase 1a will continue to be vaccinated at hospitals and other clinical settings.
    • People age 65 and over will primarily be vaccinated at pharmacies and other sites that are part of the retail network. Use the online tool to find a location or call the COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline 7AM - 10PM, 7 days a week, to schedule a vaccination appointment at 1-833-697-4829.
    • Public employees - police departments, public school teachers and MTA employees - will primarily be vaccinated through their groups’ relevant health programs or as organized by their unions.
    • Second dose appointments will be booked at the site where you receive your first shot. Remember: Both vaccines require two doses for effectiveness.
    • The general public probably won't be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine until mid-2021 at the following places:
    • Health care provider
    • Community and hospital clinics
    • Pharmacies
    • Urgent care centers
    • The Expo Center at the Syracuse Fairgrounds has also been turned into a massive vaccination site.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized applications for emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine has already been distributed to hospitals. Distribution of the Moderna vaccine began the week of December 21.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to have about 95% efficacy at preventing symptoms and decreasing severe COVID-19 infection.

Three other vaccines, from Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen and Novavax, are in Phase 3 trials and will will likely release the initial results from those trials in the next few weeks.

The vaccine will work for most people, but it will not work for everyone. Even after you are vaccinated, you will still need to practice important COVID-19 prevention steps, including staying home if sick, washing your hands, wearing a face covering and keeping physical distance from others.

Find out when you're eligible to receive a vaccination and where to get it at NYC.gov. All vaccines require an appointment.

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