TIME
TIME FOR
TIME FOR OUR 2 ON YOUR SIDE TOWN
>>> IT IS COMING UP ON 5:30.
TIME FOR OUR 2 ON YOUR SIDE TOWN HALL.
WE HAVE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE
WITH US.
I'M KATE.
>> WE HAVE GOT AN LOT OF
MESSAGES FROM OUR VIEWERS TODAY
AS WE WILL BE DISCUSSING
CHALLENGES WITH ADMINISTERING
THE VACCINE.
PHARMACIES ARE OF COURSE
INUNDATED WITH CALLS RIGHT NOW.
MANY OF THOSE ELIGIBLE ARE
FRUSTRATED WITH DELAYS.
WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE
GOVERNOR'S DISTRIBUTION TASK
FORCE ON LIVE TO ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE SENT US.
>> PLUS A TWEET WITH MORE THAN
181,000 RETWEETS CLAIMS THE
PRESIDENT HAS A LOT TO LOSE IF
HE IS IMPEACHED.
INCLUDING HIS PENSION AND
TRAVEL FUND.
BUT IS THAT TRUE?
WE'LL VERIFY IT FOR YOU.
>> AND LATER ON, WE ARE GETTING
AN OUTSIDERS PERSPECTIVE ON
THIS SATURDAY'S BIG PLAYOFF
GAME BETWEEN THE BILLS AND THE
RAVENS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ODDS AND
HOW THE FORECAST COULD EVEN BE
A GAME CHANGER.
>> BUT FIRST UP BREAKING NEWS
IN WHAT HAS BEEN A SLUGGISH
VACCINE ROLLOUT NATIONWIDE.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKING
A MAJOR POLICY SHIFT TODAY.
>> ALL AVAILABLE DOSES OF THE
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE WILL NOW BE
RELEASED NATIONWIDE.
STATES HAVE BEEN TOLD TO
IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO VACCINATE
EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN 65 AND
OLDER.
AS WELL AS TENS OF MILLIONS OF
ADULTS THAT HAVE HEALTH
CONDITIONS THAT PUT THEM AT
HIGHER RISK OF POTENTIALLY
DYING FROM THE DISEASE.
>> UP UNTIL NOW MILLIONS OF
VILES HAVE BEEN HELD BACK TO
GUARANTEE SECOND DOSES WILL BE
AVAILABLE FOR THOSE THAT
RECEIVE THE FIRST DOSE.
BUT NOW THE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT
IS CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN THE
SUPPLY CHAIN TO MAKE THIS
CHANGE.
JOINING US LIVE IS MIKE DUTO.
HE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE
GOVERNOR'S VACCINE DISTRIBUTION
IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE.
WE KNOW YOU ARE A VERY BUSY
MAN, MIKE.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
>> GOOD EVENING, KATE AND
MICHAEL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY IT IS A COMPLICATED
ANSWER.
PHARMACIES ARE BEING INUNDATED
WITH PHONE CALLS RIGHT NOW TO
SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS.
OF COURSE NO ONE HAS ENOUGH
SUPPLY RIGHT NOW.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHEN
YOU THINK LOCAL PHARMACIES WILL
START TO RECEIVE SHIPMENTS?
AND HOW THE PROCESS WILL PLAY
OUT NOW THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE
ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK CAPACITY DEFINITELY HAS
BEEN A CONCERN IN PREVIOUS
WEEKS.
BUT CONFIDENCE IS THERE.
PHARMACIES TODAY ACROSS THE
STATE, ESPECIALLY IN CENTRAL
NEW YORK RECEIVED SUPPLY OF THE
VACCINE.
THEY ARE SCHEDULING CLINICS AND
DOSES FOR TOMORROW.
I THINK YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF
MOVEMENT IN COMMUNITY
PHARMACIES STARTING TOMORROW
FOR SURE.
>> AS YOU MENTIONED, STATES
HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TODAY TO
EXPAND ACCESS TO COVID-19
VACCINES TO EVERYONE AGES 65
AND UP.
AND ANY ADULT WITH UNDER LYING
HEALTH CONDITIONS.
AND GOVERNOR CUOMO SAYS THAT
BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
ELIGIBLE NEW YORKERS TO 7
MILLION.
SO THE STATE IS ONLY GETTING
300,000 DOSES PER WEEK.
YOU ARE ON THE STATE TASK
FORCE.
WE WANT TO LISTEN FOR A MOMENT
WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID ABOUT
ALL OF THIS EARLIER TODAY.
>> AT 300,000 PER WEEK, HOW DO
YOU EFFECTIVELY SERVE 7 MILLION
PEOPLE?
ALL OF WHOM ARE NOW ELIGIBLE.
WITHOUT ANY PRIORITY.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF I'M 90
YEARS OLD, I'M IN THE SAME
CLASS AS A PERSON WHO IS 65
PLUS.
IF I'M 90 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE
CANCER, AND HEART DISEASE, I'M
IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS A
PERSON WHO IS 65 PLUS.
>> SO NEW YORK ALREADY HAD
PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER AS
ELIGIBLE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS
FEDERAL DIRECTIVE NOW THAT IT
SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE ADULTS WITH
THOSE UNDER LYING CONDITIONS?
>> SO I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE;
RIGHT?
THIS HAS BEEN AN EVOLVING
SITUATION.
IT DEFINITELY HAS BEEN FLUID.
EVERY DAY WE HAVE A CHANCE TO
EVALUATE HOW THIS IS PLAYED OUT
AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE PLAN.
AND I THINK AGAIN AS CAPACITY
INCREASES AND COMMUNITY
PHARMACIES IS NOW AN IMPORTANT
PART OF THE SOLUTION, BEING
ABLE TO IMMUNIZE ADULTS 65 AND
ABOVE, THAT OPENS UP ACCESS FOR
IMPORTANT PATIENTS AND
PRIORITIZED POPULATIONS
ELSEWHERE.
SO THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE REALLY
JUST AN EXCELLENT JOB OF BEING
ABLE TO PIVOT WHEN NECESSARY.
THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PARTS
FROM THE MANUFACTURES TO
DISTRIBUTION TO PROVIDERS TO
THE PUBLIC.
AND PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER AND
BEING ABLE TO, AGAIN, PIVOT
WHEN NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RULE
THIS OUT AND COVER ANY GROUND
THAT PERHAPS WAS LOST EARLY ON,
THE TEAM HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT
JOB IN THAT.
I THINK PHARMACY IS REALLY
EXCITED TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THE SOLUTION.
>> SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE GOT
TODAY, MIKE, WERE ABOUT HOW IS
NEW YORK DOING COMPARED TO
OTHER PLACES.
WE CHECKED THE CDC'S TRACKER
WHICH IS KEEPING TRACK OF THE
WHOLE COUNTRY TO SEE HOW PEOPLE
ARE DOING IN TERMS OF GETTING
THESE VACCINES INTO PEOPLE'S
ARMS.
NEW YORK IS KIND OF MIDDLE OF
THE PACK IN TERMS OF VACCINES
ADMINISTERED PER CAPITA.
SO 18 STATES ARE DOING A LITTLE
BIT BETTER THAN US.
MANY OF THEM ARE SMALL.
HOWEVER, YOU DO HAVE TEXAS, FOR
INSTANCE, DOING SLIGHTLY BETTER
THAN NEW YORK.
THE NUMBERS SHOW THAT HERE IN
THIS STATE ALMOST 600,000
PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN THE
SHOTS.
AS A MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE,
WHAT DO YOU THINK NEW YORK CAN
DO AND WILL BE DOING IN THE
DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD TO EVEN
IMPROVE ON THESE NUMBERS?
>> AGAIN, IT'S CONTINUALLY
EVALUATING THE SITUATION.
I THINK YOU WILL SEE NEW YORK
ACCELERATING.
I HATE TO HAVE A PUN HERE, BUT
IT REALLY ISN'T APPLES TO AS.
WE HAVE THE BIG APPLE, NEW YORK
CITY PRESENTS ITS OWN
CHALLENGES.
WE HAVE VERY RURAL MARKETS UP
STATE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN THAT
ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THAT.
I THINK THE NEW YORK PLAN WAS
VERY FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT
ALL NEW YORKERS WOULD HAVE
PROPER ACCESS TO THE VACCINE.
AND YOU WILL SEE AS CAPACITY
INCREASES AND PROVIDERS COME
ONLINE, NEW YORK WILL CONTINUE
TO ACCELERATE THAT ROLLOUT.
IT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL, VERY
STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I WILL SAY, THERE ARE CALLS
DAILY, MULTIPLE CALLS, LATE
NIGHTS, WEEKEND CALLS OF THE
GOVERNOR AND HIS TEAM AND THE
TASK FORCE ALONG WITH THE
PROVIDERS ARE REALLY WORKING
HARD TO ENSURE THAT NEW YORK IS
AT TOP OF THAT LIST.
>> WE WANT TO GET TO SPECIFIC
VIEWER QUESTIONS NOW.
THE FIRST ONE IS MORE OF A
COMMENT FROM ALLISON.
SO SHE SAYS THAT SHE WAS
HELPING HER GRANDPARENTS
SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS FOR THEIR
VACCINE AND SAYS IT WAS VERY
FRUSTRATING.
EVENTUALLY THEY WERE ABLE TO
GET TWO ON THE SAME DAY, BUT AT
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN
ROCHESTER.
SO SHE SAYS HER GRANDPARENTS
ARE IN THEIR 80s AND PRETTY
TECH SAVVY, BUT DOESN'T THINK
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
FIGURE IT OUT WITHOUT HER.
WHAT ADVICE MIGHT YOU HAVE TO
THOSE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE
SOMEONE TO HELP THEM SIGN UP?
>> YEAH.
SO RIGHT NOW I THINK TECHNOLOGY
IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS
A VERY BIG FOCAL POINT OF THE
TASK FORCE.
AND AGAIN, ALL OF THE
PROVIDERS.
SO THE STATE AT THE COUNTY
LEVEL HAD TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYED.
YOU CAN SIGN UP ONLINE AND GET
YOUR APPOINTMENT IF YOU
QUALIFIED FOR 1A.
AND NOW 1B.
MANY OF THE PHARMACIES, I KNOW
THAT KENNY DRUGS IN CENTRAL NEW
YORK HAD A VERY SOPHISTICATED
SIGN UP AND SCHEDULE TOOL THAT
WORKED EXTREMELY WELL.
UNFORTUNATELY ABOUT 7,000
APPOINTMENTS WERE TAKEN IN TWO
HOURS.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE OTHER
CHANGE, A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS
ARE USING TECHNOLOGY TO REALLY
HELP PATIENTS IN THE EASIEST
WAY POSSIBLE GET APPOINTMENTS
OR EVEN CHANGE APPOINTMENTS SO
THEY CAN BE MORE CONVENIENT IF
MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE
LOOK FOR SHOTS.
THE PHONE IS PROBABLY THE MOST
DIFFICULT WAY.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO EXPLAIN
TO PEOPLE HOW TO SIGN UP TO
TAKE DOWN THE INFORMATION.
AND MOST PHARMACIES, WHETHER
YOU ARE A LARGE CHAIN OR A
COMMUNITY INDEPENDENT PHARMACY,
SOCIAL MEDIA.
THEY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY THAT
IS STARTING TO RAMP UP TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS PROCESS.
SO I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE
MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE IN
TOUCH WITH YOUR PHARMACY
THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
CHECKING OUT THEIR WEBSITE, AND
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY
TECHNOLOGY THAT IS AVAILABLE
TODAY.
>> FINALLY, MIKE, WE'RE ALMOST
OUT OF TIME.
BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS WE GOT FROM A BUNCH
OF PEOPLE TODAY.
SPECIFICALLY THIS IS HOW HEIDI
PUT IT.
WE'LL SHOW THE MESSAGE THAT SHE
TEXTED TO US.
SHE SAID I'M ELIGIBLE FOR THE
VACCINE.
BUT THE WEBSITE STATES THAT
THERE ARE NO PROUD VEERS WITHIN
100 MILES OF MY ADDRESS IN
NIAGARA COUNTY.
WHERE SHOULD I LOOK TO FIND A
PROVIDER?
WHAT KIND OF ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE HEIDI AND OTHER PEOPLE
THAT ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES
NAVIGATING SOME OF THIS?
>> DEFINITELY STARTING WITH
YOUR COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, THAT IS THE BEST PLACE
TO START.
AND I DO KNOW THAT MANY
PHARMACY PROVIDERS AS THEY RAMP
UP WILL BE GOING OFF SITE AND
DOING CLINICS.
SO THAT CERTAINLY IS A
POSSIBILITY IN THE VERY NEAR
FUTURE AS WELL.
BUT THE DEPARTMENT, THE COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS A GREAT
STARTING POINT FOR EVERYBODY.
BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT DOING
THE CLINICS, THEY ARE RESOURCE
TO HELP POINT PATIENTS IN THAT
DIRECTION.
>> WE'VE BEEN CHATTING WITH
MIKE DUTO.
A MEMBER OF THE DISTRIBUTION
TASK FORCE AND PRESENT OF THE
COMMUNITY PHARMACY ASSOCIATION
OF NEW YORK STATE.
IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING, THERE
IS SO MUCH INFORMATION.
MIKE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER THESE
QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
>> THANKS AGAIN FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
PHARMACY IS PROUD TO BE A PART
OF THIS