ALBANY – An unknown number of New York residents had their COVID-19 vaccine appointments abruptly cancelled by CVS and Walgreensafter they were able to sign up despite a state rule preventing pharmacies from vaccinating those under the age of 65.
The retail pharmacy giants began administering the vaccine in New York lastweek under a federal program that allocates doses directly to them, with the chains' limited appointments booked up within hours of being made available.
Some of those appointments were filled by those who have comorbidities, who gained eligibility to receive the vaccine on Monday. But those who are under the age of 65 had their appointments abruptly cancelleddays after making them, with the pharmacies pointing to the state rule.
CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis suggested the cancelations were connected to thestate Department of Health's updated Feb. 15 guidance to vaccine providers, which noted pharmacies "should only vaccinate persons aged 65 years or older" after vaccinating their own staff.
"We worked to identify impacted individuals who had made appointments as soon as we received this updated guidance," DeAngelissaid in an email. "We are required to comply with state guidance on vaccine eligibility and we regret any inconvenience."
State rule had been in place since January
The state's rule preventingpharmacies from vaccinating people younger than65, however,had been in effect for nearly a month prior to Feb. 15.
The rule was included in the Health Department's Jan. 19 guidance to vaccine providers, as well as a Jan. 23 executive order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"The requirement that pharmacies in New York State prioritize the 65+ population for vaccination has been stated numerous times by the Governor and is clearly laid out in multiple guidance documents and an executive order," Health Department spokesperson Jill Montag said in a statement.
"Pharmacies book their own vaccination appointments, so please reach out to them for further questions."
It was not immediately clear how widespread the cancellations were; CVS declined to provide an estimate. Walgreens did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the situation.
People who booked appointments on CVS' online system were greeted with a pop-up saying eligibility was limited to New York residents age 65 or older, and warning that different states have different eligibility rules.
Still, the warning was apparently easy to miss, as those who had their appointments cancelled wrote to their local government leaders and took to apps like Nextdoor and social media to voice their displeasure.
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Cancellations lead to criticism
Paul Feiner, supervisor of the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, publicly posted emails from his constituents who reached out to his office to raise concern after removing their names.
"This is ridiculous," Feiner wrote on the town's website. "Those under 65 who have medical problems deserve the vaccine just like those who are over 65 and are healthier. I am reaching out to the Governor's office - hoping that the state will direct all pharmacies to offer vaccines to everyone eligible to receive them."
Phyllis Sauler said she booked an appointment for her son, who is younger than 65 but has an eligible underlying health condition, at the Walgreens in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County. She said she received a confirmation email from the drug-store chain before later receiving an email cancelling the appointment, which led her to call for an explanation.
"The person I spoke with at Walgreens told me that she was just told that they were just informed they could only give vaccines to those 65 and older," Sauler wrote in an email.
Cuomo's administration first limited vaccine providers to specific populations in mid-January, not long after expanding the eligibility rules to include those over the age of 65.
Under the state rules, pharmacies are limited to those over the age of 65.Hospitals have to prioritize health care workers, then they can vaccinate residents of facilities for the developmentally disabled, then they can vaccinate those over the age of 65.
Local health departments have to prioritize essential workers for vaccination. They can also designate health care providers in their counties to vaccinate those with comorbidities.
New York's 13 state-run mass vaccination sites are open to anyone who is currently eligible for the vaccine.
Includes reporting by Frank Scandale of The Journal News.
Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at@JonCampbellGAN.
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