Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced the formation of the Ulster County Vaccine Distribution Coalition. Led by Dr. Marc Tack, an infectious disease specialist with more than 20 years of medical experience, the coalition is made up of community leaders with the goal of educating the public in order to build trust and confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and its distribution process.

“Ensuring we distribute the vaccine safely, quickly, and equitably is the most complex and critical phase of our entire pandemic response. That’s why we are planning extensively now and building a true whole-of-community approach,” Ryan said. “While we are still months away from the vaccine being widely available to the public at-large, we are starting the work now to build trust and confidence, ensuring that the public has the information that they need to understand the process and feel safe taking the vaccine.”

This week Pfizer delivered nearly 170,000 Covid-19 vaccines to New York State. Stage 1 vaccination distribution will see vaccines distributed proportionally throughout New York’s 10 regions based on the makeup of each region. It is expected that pending FDA approval, next week a second shipment from Moderna would deliver an additional 346,000 more vaccines to New York. The Mid-Hudson region will receive over 19,000 vaccines in the first round.

Members of the committee include:
• Dr. Marc Tack, Infectious Disease Specialist

• Dr. Walter Woodley, Institute for Family Health
• Dr. Marta Sanchez, Institute for Family Health
• Mariel Fiori, Editor La Voz Magazine
• Beth Albright, Family of Woodstock
• Susan Koppenhaver, Director of the Ulster County Office for the Aging
• Estela Aquino-Woych, New York State Nurses Association
• Lauri Naccarato, New York State United Teachers
• Pastor Jim Childs, Pointe of Praise Church