Broome County is playing catch-up on administering COVID-19 vaccinations following bad weather that waylaid last week’s shipment.

County Executive Jason Garnar says administering the hundreds of doses from last week as well as this week’s allocations is a good practice run for when the county expects to get a big increase in allocations in upcoming weeks and can hold larger mass-vaccination clinics.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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Broome County had to reschedule around 80 appointments after hundreds of doses of the vaccine that were expected February 15 didn’t arrive. UHS stepped up to provide 300 doses but there were dozens of appointments for first and second doses that had to be re-booked.

The County has said once production and distribution systems ramp up this spring, it expects to be able to handle hundreds if not thousands of vaccinations at the SUNY Broome Ice Center. Doctor offices, pharmacies and state vaccination facilities are also expecting to be able to greatly increase appointments once supplies start to flow.

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Meanwhile, all the appointments for Broome County’s clinics for residents in priority groups 1a and 1b are filled for this week.

Broome County’s rapid COVID testing site is being moved to the Health Department offices on Front Street in Binghamton for two weeks starting Monday, March 1.  Testing is available, by appointment, for residents who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 by going to www.gobroomecounty.com

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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