U.C. DOH Vaccine Update

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02-12 2021 |

We are writing to update you on the current vaccination situation in Ulster County. Last week, New York State expanded the eligibility categories, bringing the number of residents in Ulster County who qualify to well over 70,000. This week Ulster County was allocated by New York State a total of 1,500 vaccines, this is split between our Health Department, pharmacies, and local health providers. This is a reduction of over 20% from the week prior. With the limited vaccination supply that we do have, here is where people that are eligible can receive a vaccine.

  • For those in Phase 1A (Healthcare Workers), your primary point of contact to be vaccinated is your employer.
  • For those in Phase 1B (First Responders & Essential Workers), your primary point of contact to be vaccinated is the Ulster County Health Department. Please register at http://vaccinateulster.com, and as more doses become available you will be notified with a link to schedule an appointment.
  • For Seniors (65+), you should reach out directly to the pharmacies in Ulster County that are currently providing vaccines (listed below) to schedule appointments as they become available. In addition, you can access the NY State website to attempt to schedule an appointment at State-run sites (the nearest State-run sites are in Albany or Westchester) by clicking here.

Rite Aid – 485 Broadway, Kingston
Walgreens – 316 Broadway, Kingston
Walgreens – 201 Plaza Rd, Kingston
Walgreens – 6 Simmons Plz, Saugerties
Walgreens – 50 N Main St., Ellenville
Walgreens – 3732 U.S. Highway Route 9W, Highland
Catskill Pharmacy – 6401 US-209, Kerhonkson, NY

As a reminder, Ulster County does not have a role in pharmacies vaccine distribution. They are allocated vaccines by New York State and operate independently of the County. To find information on local pharmacies with access to the COVID-19 vaccine click here.

Additionally, we have received many inquiries regarding how appointments are scheduled. In order to provide you with the best available information, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions page here.  Below we have also included a summary of how appointments are created, and how we notify you via the Vaccine Notification List.

  • Appointments at the County-led vaccination PODs (points of dispensing) are available to NYS-designated priority groups on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you receive an email with a link to schedule an appointment at a County-led vaccination POD but all appointments are filled by the time you see the email notification, you will continue to receive subsequent emails as more appointments become available.  Ulster County does not have the ability to override State guidelines in order to prioritize people.
  • If you have not received an email with a notification that appointments are available, it is most likely because you are not in the essential worker group as defined by New York State.  Counties in New York are currently responsible for vaccinating essential workers only.  Pharmacies have been tasked with vaccinating seniors through a separate process not associated with Ulster County.  We will do our best to give you the most up to date information on which local pharmacies are vaccinating, but their process and requirements are not within our control.

Ulster County has the capacity to vaccinate up to 50,000 people a month – but nowhere near enough vaccine supply to do so. We are looking forward to when the supply meets the demand and we can open additional sites and we will continue to advocate for additional supply at the State and Federal levels.

We ask for your continued patience and remind you to visit our website or social media channels for information as it is available.

Sincerely,

Ulster County Health Department