Suffolk County will open its third mass Covid-19 vaccination site at Suffolk Community College’s Selden campus, County Executive Steve Bellone announced during a news briefing Wednesday.
The vaccine point of distribution, or “POD,” will begin vaccinations on Thursday — weather permitting, Bellone said. It joins Suffolk’s two existing mass vaccination sites at the Brentwood and Riverhead campuses of Suffolk Community College.
“The college is uniquely situated for this effort,” Bellone said. “These campuses are strategically located throughout the county on the west end, east end, and now in the middle of the county with the Selden campus.”
Bellone noted that “we need more vaccines,” but the opening of the new site is an indication of progress. The county received a total of 5,000 vaccines last week and 8,000 this week, including both first and second doses. About 1,600 of those doses will be administered at the new site.
“We expect to see the number of vaccines available go up in the coming weeks,” Bellone said.
The Selden campus will focus on vaccinating those with comorbidities, municipal employees, and Northwell Health employees, he added. The other sites will focus on all essential employees.
“Science has given us a very effective and very safe vaccine,” said Louis Petrizzo, Interim Suffolk County Community College President, “but vaccines don’t do any good in the vial. They need to be distributed, and that’s why setting up these PODs in the communities are so very important.”
For more information about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine in Suffolk County, visit suffolkcountyny.gov/vaccine.
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