Pharmacies in New York are now able to offer COVID-19 vaccines to anyone with a underlying condition, health officials say.
The state Department of Health said that as of March 17, pharmacies had been “authorized to vaccinate people with comorbidities or underlying conditions.”
Previously, pharmacies were limited to administering shots to people over the age of 60, school employees and child care workers.
However, other currently eligible groups, such as food industry workers, taxi and spring drivers, are not allowed to enroll in jab at pharmacies.
Extended eligibility for pharmacies comes as more than 7.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state – with at least 3.4 million distributed so far in the Big Apple.
“As we move beyond another important stage with vaccinations in our ongoing war against COVID, we must remember that we are still in a race with the infection rate and other important values,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
“We have made remarkable progress, but we must remain vigilant and determined as we open up more sectors of our economy. Any increase in activity in person can have consequences if we do not do it correctly.
“In the meantime, I urge all eligible New Yorkers who have not yet been vaccinated to register immediately for an appointment and return for the second dose as needed.”