Vaccine Information

STARTING MONDAY ... VACCINE ELIGIBILITY EXPANDED

Beginning Monday, February 15, the New York State Department of Health is expanding Phase 1b to include certain medical conditions for individuals between the ages of 16 to 64 for COVID-19 vaccination. This includes people who are pregnant and those with chronic conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and pulmonary disease. View the full list of these conditions here. If you fall into this expanded criteria, your healthcare provider can direct you on how to obtain the necessary documentation you need to verify your eligibility. As a reminder, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has the sole authority to allocate the State’s vaccine supply to points of distribution (PODs) across the State, and supply is extremely limited. Currently, Stony Brook does not independently have access to the vaccine.

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As we continue to move forward with our Stony Brook Medicine COVID-19 Vaccination Program, we are administering as many doses as possible, based on New York State eligibility requirements and distribution guidelines. Currently, demand for vaccinations exceeds supply – which is allocated by the State and provided by the federal government – and with little advance notice of supply availability.

As supplies allow, we are making eligible groups of individuals aware of vaccine opportunities, often on short notice. Please watch for these emails if you fall into one of the currently eligible groups, and continue to regularly visit the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Eligibility website to check your eligibility and sign up for an appointment.

The NYSDOH determines vaccine eligibility, has authority to allocate the State's vaccine supply across New York State and, for NYSDOH Points of Distribution (PODs) including the one in SBU’s R&D Park, is scheduling all appointments. SBU employees have no special access to appointments at the NYSDOH POD in Stony Brook and we do not receive advance knowledge of when appointments at the POD will be made available on the State website. Stony Brook University Hospital also receives vaccine allocations. These must be used prioritizing the vaccination of patient-facing healthcare providers in accordance with NYSDOH directives.

We all look forward to the time when more employees and students are eligible to receive the vaccine and we appreciate your patience and support. In the meantime, we will continue to keep you informed as guidelines and requirements evolve in this rapidly changing environment. Please help us keep our community safe and well by continuing to follow all the safety precautions that have kept our campus open for in-person learning, such as mask wearing, social distancing and frequent hand washing.

Where to Get the Latest Stony Brook Information

Updated FAQs below

Stony Brook Medicine Information About Coronavirus web page

Where to Get Current Information, Determine Your Eligibility and Set Up an Appointment:

NYSDOH Eligibility website

NYSDOH ‘What You Need to Know’ web page

ny.gov/vaccine (to sign up for an appointment)

Vaccine updates

Special Update - Appointments Available at NYSDOH Community Vaccination Pod at Innovation and Discovery Center ( January 29, 2021 )
SBU Hospital Among Highest Performing Vaccine Distribution Sites in New York ( January 20, 2021 )
Update - Latest vaccine information, Spring 2021 student information, SBM news ( January 15, 2021 )
HR Update for Faculty and Staff: Age Requirement Change and New SBU Point of Distribution for Vaccine ( January 13, 2021 )
Faculty and Staff Vaccination Eligibility and Distribution Update ( January 11, 2021 )
HR Issues Vaccination Update to All Faculty and Staff ( January 5, 2021 )

VACCINE FAQS

We have been administering thousands of doses of the vaccine under the Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) COVID-19 vaccination program since December 15. Following prioritization guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), vaccines must be provided first to Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) healthcare personnel at high risk for transmitting or becoming infected with the virus. This includes those providing direct care to, or interacting with, patients. It also includes administrative and food and housekeeping services staff who have contact with patients or who handle infectious materials. These individuals were all categorized as Phase 1a in the vaccine rollout plan set by New York State.

On January 11, the State of New York announced that individuals deemed eligible for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1b could prepare to schedule their vaccination appointments as supplies became available. This next group of eligible people included a wide range of essential frontline workers, such as teachers, first responders, public safety and mass transit workers, as well as New Yorkers aged 75 and older (which was then expanded to 65 and older).

We were excited that Phase 1b also included college instructors of in-person classes and student teachers in K through 12 placements. In both cases, eligible individuals are required to attest and provide proof that they are teaching an in-person class, and we have a process to identify and provide documentation for Stony Brook University professionals who meet this requirement.

Vaccine supply continues to be very limited, with demand for vaccinations exceeding the current supply – which is allocated by the State and provided by the federal government. However, we will be making eligible individuals aware of vaccine opportunities (often on short notice) as soon as they present themselves, and endeavoring to vaccinate as many people as possible, based on eligibility guidelines, distribution protocols and supply availability from the State.
While Stony Brook University is administering vaccines, it's the NYSDOH that is responsible for providing guidance on eligibility, scheduling appointments and providing us with our supplies. These are the sites to visit to determine your eligibility, set up an appointment and get answers to your vaccination questions:

NYSDOH Eligibility website

NYSDOH ‘What You Need to Know’ web page

ny.gov/vaccine (to sign up for an appointment)
We’re excited to announce that Stony Brook University has been designated as a New York State point of distribution (POD) site where the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to those eligible to receive it. The POD is located in the R&D Park on Stony Brook Road, operating from 8 am to 7 pm, seven days a week.
Yes. In addition to allocations for our Stony Brook University Hospital professionals, Stony Brook Medicine also received a vaccine allocation to be administered to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, medical examiners and coroners; funeral workers who have direct contact with infectious material and bodily fluids; and healthcare or other high-risk direct care essential staff working in long-term, congregate settings overseen by state agencies -- including the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, Office of Mental Health and Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services -- as well as residents of those communities.
The State has estimated that sufficient vaccines will be available for all Phase One workers, which includes all healthcare providers, by February. At Stony Brook Medicine, we need to vaccinate almost 12,500 people. After that, we will work with the New York State Department of Public Health and follow their guidance on eligibility for other groups .
We do not yet know when the COVID vaccine will be available for our students. New York State is overseeing the distribution of the vaccine. To stay up-to-date on the phases of vaccine distribution, visit New York State's COVID vaccination page.
Our New York State partners have announced that it could take at least 14 weeks to vaccinate all individuals eligible in Phases 1a and 1b. Administration of vaccines after that will continue to depend on availability and distribution, so we can't provide a definitive timeframe after that for individuals who didn't fall into those categories.
LISVH vaccinations are being provided onsite through a special NYS program for nursing homes administered by CVS Pharmacy. One-third of LISVH employees have already received the vaccine (on December 28, 29 and 30), with the remaining two-thirds of staff to be vaccinated on January 18, 19 and 20.
Stony Brook Southampton and Eastern Long Island Hospitals are each receiving their own additional allocations from the State and are following the same prioritization scheme as Stony Brook University Hospital.
As we receive more vaccine supply in the coming weeks, we hope access will be expanded according to the priority approach required by New York State. We will update you as soon as the DOH determines which entities will vaccinate additional groups as they become eligible .
It’s important to know that vaccination does not provide instant immunity. Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines we provide require two doses administered weeks apart — three weeks for Pfizer and four weeks for Moderna. Depending on the vaccine, it can take a total of four to six weeks from initial dosing to achieve immunity and protection levels comparable to those in clinical trials. During this time, it is still possible to become infected with COVID-19 .
No. The recently authorized vaccines being used will not cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. The goal of vaccination is for your body to develop an immune response. This means that there IS a possibility of testing positive on some antibody tests ,which are tests to indicate that you had a previous infection and have some level of protection against the virus. This is currently being studied.
Yes . Because the vaccine may not give you 100% protection AND because it will not affect your results, you should continue to participate in surveillance testing or get tested for possible infection if you develop symptoms.
Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you get vaccinated even if you have had COVID-19 as long as you have recovered as defined by meeting the criteria for discontinuation from isolation (at least 10 days with improving symptoms and fever free for 72 hours). However, if there are shortages of vaccines, you may defer vaccination for up to 90 days from the time of infection.

Source: CDC Vaccines & Immunizations webpage
Yes, but you need to wait until at least 90 days have passed.

Source: CDC Vaccines & Immunizations webpage
Yes. As long as you have recovered and meet the criteria for discontinuation from isolation you can receive the second dose when it is due. If you are not recovered when it is time for your second dose and do not yet meet the criteria for discontinuation of isolation, defer the second dose until after you complete your isolation period.

Source: CDC Vaccines & Immunizations webpage
No. You need to wait until you meet the requirements to discontinue quarantine before you can get vaccinated.

Source: CDC Vaccines & Immunizations webpage
No. It is not possible for you to select which product you receive, and the two doses must be from the same manufacturer. Both have proven to be extremely safe and effective in clinical trials .
Even after being vaccinated, you must continue to practice hand hygiene, wear a face mask or covering when not in your home or alone in your office, wear the PPE appropriate to your work assignment and socially distance. While the vaccines have proven to be highly effective, these simple steps will help better ensure we continue to contain the spread of the virus and are in keeping with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and NYS Department of Health (DOH) current guidelines, until advised otherwise .
See what SBUH Dr. Sharon Nachtman, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, has to say about the safety and efficacy of both vaccines in this short video:
In addition to ongoing updates we will provide, your best resources are the following:

NYSDOH ‘What You Need to Know’ web page

Stony Brook Medicine Information About Coronavirus web page

You can also contact the Health Information Line at 631-632-5000 with any individual questions or concerns you may have.