Granville town supervisor Matt Hicks and Roger Wickes, Washington County attorney and public information officer for public health, were excited to inform NYVT Media of the readily available status of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 65 and older and essential workers in the 1a and 1b categories.

Hicks and all the Washington County supervisors want those who are 65 and older who have not received the vaccine yet to be on the lookout for one of the 15 state vaccination sites throughout New York, as well as pharmacies that have been approved to receive the vaccine more readily.

“They (senior citizens) can work through the state site… or they can work through their regional pharmacies,” Hicks said. “The county is going to be strictly focused on the 1as and 1bs.”

Wickes made it clear the vaccines the county is receiving from the state are directly designated for either the 1as and 1bs or for those 65 and up. However, most of the vaccines rolling into Washington County are labeled for essential workers.

“It’s specifically designed to a specific group,” Wickes said. “If your only qualification is you’re 65 and older, we can’t give it to you.”

On Feb. 19, Wickes said around 1,700 people were vaccinated at the Fort Edward site on Burgoyne Avenue.

Wickes said it can be difficult when it comes to planning dates for individuals to receive both doses of the vaccine because it ultimately depends on the state’s allotment. This issue has caused the county to cancel vaccinations for this weekend.

“They’ll (the state) give it to us if they have it,” Wickes said. “If you got the first one from us, we’ll give you your second one… we’re kind of jumping through hoops wondering when the heck we’re going to do it.”

Wickes said there are two pharmacies in Kingsbury offering the vaccine for those 65 and older.

According to the New York State vaccine tracker, found at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/covid-19-vaccine-tracker, 111,482 of the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the North Country and 116,705 first and second dose vaccines have been received for the area, marking a 96% reception to administered rate.

More than 3.1 million vaccines have been administered throughout New York State.

To see if you qualify under the 1a and 1b categories, please check the state’s listing at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/phased-distribution-vaccine