New York’s limited COVID vaccine supply results in canceled appointments

New York is on track to run out of its COVID-19 vaccine supply in two to three days at its current vaccination pace, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday. 

The shortages have forced New York City to cancel 23,000 vaccine appointments this week. Counties across the state are also scaling back inoculations – the Erie County Health Department canceled planned clinics and appointments. 

There are 145,000 first doses of the vaccine available; the state is averaging out to giving 65,000 doses per day. “We’ll start to get the next week’s allocation, but what’s clear now is we’re going to be going from week to week, and you will see a constant pattern of basically running out, waiting for the next week’s allocation, and then starting up again,” Cuomo said.

The governor called on President Joe Biden – who was inaugurated yesterday – to increase the vaccine supply. Cuomo attempted to purchase vaccines directly from Pfizer, but he said he found out that the pharmaceutical company is not allowed to sell its vaccine directly to states.