Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the latest round of the JYNNEOS vaccine that will be distributed to local health departments. To ensure all vaccine allotments across the country are being put to optimal use, the Phase 3 allocations are being divided by the federal government into three installments and delivered as the states administer vaccines. The first installment for the New York State Department of Health will be made up of 11,840 vaccines (or 40 percent of the Phase 3 total allocation to New York State). New York City will receive approximately 32,000 doses in the first installment of Phase 3, sent directly to the city health department from the federal government.
"We continue to distribute more monkeypox vaccines to communities across New York State as we build on our ongoing aggressive efforts to confront this public health emergency head on," Governor Hochul said. "This latest allocation from the federal government will help us reach and protect more people, and we will continue to work around the clock to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity, responsibly educate the public, and protect those most at-risk."
NYSDOH also remains strongly committed to an equitable distribution of vaccine, and eligibility remains focused on individuals with known or likely exposure in areas with the highest number of cases. As part of this effort, 1,000 doses will be designated to launch a new pilot program with AIDS Institute partner providers to ensure equitable access to vaccines and target underserved populations.
On Friday, the Governor welcomed federal plans to send approximately 110,000 more vaccines to New York State and New York City in Phase 3 of the federal distribution, with the State getting 30,000 of these doses in the coming weeks through three separate ordering stages. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will be getting approximately 80,000 doses over the same time period.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "We continue to work aggressively to ensure New Yorkers have the tools needed to slow this outbreak and protect themselves, including equitable access to vaccine, testing, and treatment, as well as, the information needed to understand the virus, identify symptoms, and reduce risk to exposure. With these tools, New Yorkers can protect themselves and their loved ones from this painful virus."
Of the 11,840 doses allocated to New York State from the federal government in installment 1 of Phase 3, a total of 4,020 will be distributed to Suffolk County; 860 to Erie County; 600 to Onondaga County; 500 to Albany County; 500 to Monroe County; 80 to Rockland County; 80 to Sullivan County. Another 4,000 doses will be allocated to New York City, which has the vast majority of cases in the state. Certain counties that received allocations in prior phases are still in the process of distributing and administering Phase 2 allotments and will not receive more vaccines at this time. The department will also reserve 200 for cases in counties not yet identified.
In accordance with CDC guidance advising Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for the current Monkeypox outbreak, those already exposed or likely to have been exposed are prioritized in the State allocation to counties.
Eligibility includes the following New Yorkers:
- Individuals with recent exposure to monkeypox within the past 14 days.
- Those at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including members of the gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days areas where monkeypox is spreading.
- Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application ("app"), or social event, such as a bar or party.
Today's announcement builds on New York State's ongoing response efforts on monkeypox, including efforts to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity, and distribute the latest information and resources to New Yorkers. Last week, Governor Hochul issued an Executive Order declaring a State Disaster Emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The Executive Order enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated. The Executive Order specifically extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer monkeypox vaccines, including EMS personnel, pharmacists and midwives; allows physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue non patient specific standing orders for vaccines; and requires providers to send vaccine data to the New York State Department of Health.
Recently, Governor Hochul announced that the federal government had secured an additional 110,000 vaccine doses, resulting in a total of 170,000 doses to New Yorkers to date. Governor Hochul and the Department of Health are continuing their ongoing coordination with White House, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR) to ensure that New York continues to receive its fair share of vaccine supply as soon they are available, especially for those New Yorkers in communities with high transmission rates.
Last week, New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett declared monkeypox an Imminent Threat to Public Health (ITPH) in New York State. Earlier this month, NYSDOH launched a new SMS-text notification effort to deliver the latest monkeypox information directly to New Yorkers. New Yorkers can sign up for text messages—which will include alerts about cases, symptoms, spread, and resources for testing and vaccination—by texting "MONKEYPOX" to 81336 or "MONKEYPOXESP" for texts in Spanish. By providing a zip code, New Yorkers can also opt-in for location-based messages.
NYSDOH's dedicated website, which stays updated with the latest information, has free, downloadable materials including a palm card, information card, handout, and posters available in both English and Spanish. NYSDOH has already distributed these resources to LGBTQ+ organizations, local county health departments, healthcare providers, and businesses. NYSDOH has also engaged in a paid, digital advertising campaign to get information to communities experiencing higher rates of monkeypox cases.
In addition to public outreach, the New York State Department of Health continues to focus on distributing vaccines to communities. Local county health departments that have received supply are administering the vaccine directly and establishing their own appointment processes. Working in partnership with counties, New Yorkers who sign-up for location-based alerts may receive alerts on vaccine availability, clinic locations, scheduling, and other monkeypox-related updates specific to their area.