Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced that the Ulster County Department of Health will run two COVID-19 vaccination points of dispensing (PODs) next week, ahead of the Thanksgiving and Hanukkah holidays. On Monday, November 22, a vaccination POD will be held from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., at which first, second, additional, and booster doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines will be administered. On Tuesday, November 23, a pediatric vaccination POD will be held from 3 - 7 p.m. to administer pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine to 5-11-year-olds.
“If you look at what happened last year between mid-November and early December 2020, we saw a 378% increase in active cases. We’re at a similar moment now in 2021, where we’re starting to see a slow build of another possible wave. The decisions we make and the precautions we take in the next week or two really will be determinative of whether we have another big spike or whether we can keep things at a relative plateau,” said Ryan. “Our goal is to not repeat what happened last year during the winter. Our Ulster County Department of Health has administered 5,676 booster doses as of today, and I encourage all residents who are eligible, which is basically anyone over the age of 18 who completed the vaccine series at least six months ago, to get the COVID-19 booster. On Wednesday, November 17th, the team at our POD will be administering a COVID-19 booster dose to me.”
To date, approximately 120,500 Ulster County residents have completed the vaccine series, and the CDC recommends boosters for almost everyone.
Pfizer and Moderna boosters are recommended for people who received a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago and are:
Age 65 and older
Age 18 and older who live in a long-term care setting
Age 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions
Age 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings (This group includes anyone who works within 6 feet of other people, whether paid or volunteer.)
Appointments for the County’s pediatric PODs are required, and patients must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The Ulster County Department of Health is still accepting volunteers to help with the County’s vaccination efforts, particularly medical volunteers to be vaccinators and screeners. Vaccinators need both an active license and current CPR certificate, or can be basic and advanced EMTs with current CPR certificate. Screeners create the record of vaccination for each patient, so should be computer literate, have attention to detail, and good customer service and communication skills. Both of these medical volunteers will receive a stipend. Sign up to volunteer at ovid19.ulstercountyny.gov/vaccine-volunteer/.
Sign up for an appointment at VaccinateUlster.com.