What is v-safe? V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Through v-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers, someone from CDC may call to check on you. And v-safe will remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one.
Click here to learn more about V-safe
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On Monday, Jan. 11, New York state expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to include those in the Phase 1B priority group. Phase 1B covers certain categories of essential workers and anyone 65 years of age or over, as well as individuals of any age with compromised immune systems.
Click here to view the Franklin County Public Health press release, detailing Phase 1B eligibility.
The expanded eligibility has greatly increased demand for vaccination appointments, which are not scheduled by Adirondack Health, but rather through an online state system.
It appears that county public health departments and retail pharmacies (like Kinney Drugs and Walgreens) will be the ones primarily responsible for Phase 1B.
The state has set up an online eligibility tool and encourages all New Yorkers to start there. The online tool can be found on the state health department’s website here: covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov
The state has also set up a vaccine hotline for those who would prefer to communicate over the phone. That number is: 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (that’s 1-833-697-4829)
Finally, the first state-run vaccination sites are being stood up this week, and county public health departments are organizing vaccine clinics for Phase 1B individuals beginning next week. Last week, Adirondack Health administered the last of our vaccine doses on hand to Phase 1A individuals, in keeping with state guidance.
We await further direction and look forward to continuing to help out in any way we can.
