People with underlying conditions can make COVID vaccine appointments starting Feb. 14

Starting on Sunday, Feb. 14, New York state residents with underlying health conditions will be able to make appointments to receive a COVID vaccine at state-run mass-vaccination sites like the State Fair Expo Center.

The first appointments will be scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15.

To show they have comorbidities or underlying conditions, New Yorkers must provide documentation as required by the facility where they are getting vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. The proof must be either a doctor’s letter, medical information showing evidence of the comorbidity, or a signed certification from the individual attesting to their condition.

New York is now including people with underlying health conditions or comorbidities in its vaccination campaign because it will be reallocating excess vaccine supplies that had been used for health-care workers for the past eight weeks.

“As the state’s effort to vaccinate health care workers nears completion this week, we are now shifting those doses to prioritize those New Yorkers with comorbidities and pre-existing conditions — a group which has felt the brunt of COVID’s destructiveness first-hand,” Cuomo said. “While this is a great step forward in ensuring the most vulnerable among us have access to this life-saving vaccine, it’s no secret that any time you’re dealing with a resource this scarce, there are going to be attempts to commit fraud and game the system. That’s why it’s been critically important that we put safeguards in place to prevent bad actors from slowing the distribution process and we have done just that.”

 New York State said it will audit local systems to ensure people are complying with eligibility requirements for those with comorbidities and underlying conditions. The New York State Department of Health will also host a conference call with county executives and local health departments to discuss strategies and compliance associated with vaccinating New Yorkers.

Here are the health conditions that will allow people in the Empire State to sign up for a vaccine appointment:

• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities including Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
• Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
• Liver disease

Local health departments will determine how, where, and when to schedule appointments in their jurisdictions, the state said. No local jurisdiction should accept appointments until the vaccine allocations are known, and no earlier than Sunday.