Governor Cuomo says the coronavirus vaccine could be in New York State by the weekend. The state has set up 90 regional distribution centers with the necessary refrigeration gear to preserve the vaccine. The first to get it will be nursing home residents and medical staff.
Shipment of the vaccine depends on the ruling of a federal panel that meets Thursday. If approved, about six million doses will be available nationwide to start with. 170,000 will come to New York, and every hospital in the state will get a share.
The governor says outreach efforts for Black, Brown and low-income communities which have been hard hit by the virus have priority in the distribution plans.