Hundreds of doses of COVID-19 vaccine are thrown into trash in New York

Hospitals across New York State have been forced to throw away precious doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in recent weeks due to the difficulty of finding patients who exactly meet the state's strict vaccine queuing rules. They were pushed to this by huge fines for the vaccine given to a person who did not have the right to it, writes New York Times.

On January 9, state officials reacted to the situation by loosening the guidelines for selecting patients for vaccination.

Healthcare providers can now administer the vaccine to any of their public interactions if there are unused doses left in the open vial and no one from the “priority population can come for vaccinations before these doses expire,” the new guidance says. Sellers, cashiers, warehouse workers and pharmacy delivery staff can now also be eligible for vaccinations.

This is the second time in two days that Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration has eased restrictions on who can get vaccinated in New York State.

On January 9, the governor announced that healthcare workers have the right to vaccinate a wider range of key workers, including teachers, as well as New Yorkers over 75. On the same day, the governor expanded the range of healthcare professionals who can administer vaccines to include licensed nurses, pharmacists, dentists and orthopedists. All these rules took effect today, January 11th.

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A spokesman for the state health department said the new guidelines are the result of a long process of review and negotiation.

“The new guidance outlines and clarifies what we have been discussing with hospitals for several weeks. We wanted to ensure that vaccines were not wasted. We don't want confusion and we want to make sure everyone understands the procedures, ”said spokesman for the department, Gary Holmes.

As the state looses vaccination options, New York City continues to create vaccination sites and simplify the vaccination scheduling process.

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On January 10, the union representing the city's public school teachers said it had reached agreements with health care providers to vaccinate its members and would quickly compile a list of all teachers to be vaccinated, prioritizing those who work in schools rather than remotely.

On January 10, the city also launched a website that helps New Yorkers find vaccinations closest to them... To do this, simply enter your address and the portal will display the nearest vaccination sites.