NASSAU COUNTY, NY – Nassau County Executive Laura Curran today announced that 75.1% (3 in 4) of adult residents (18+) in Nassau County have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. According to the State Department of Health, Nassau County has the highest percentage of adult residents (18+) with at least one vaccine dose among all New York State Counties with a population greater than 200,000. The NY statewide percentage for adults who’ve received at least one vaccine dose is 65.5%.
“Nassau County has been focused on vaccinating as many people as possible, as fast as possible, so we can return to our normal lives. Since Day 1 of the County’s vaccination campaign, our motto has been “We Can Do It, Nassau!” As County Executive, I am beyond proud of our residents for rising to the challenge and getting the job done. Our success has been a team effort. I want to thank Commissioner Eisenstein and Nassau’s DOH staff, our County’s medical professionals, frontline workers and all the volunteers who’ve worked tirelessly to get shots in arms. I continue to make the case to the State for a more significant roll-back of pandemic restrictions, especially mandates that are negatively affecting our children. With more residents still rolling up their sleeves, we’re ready to enjoy a normal summer in Nassau!”
With four County Department of Health vaccination sites, a designated hotline for seniors, veterans, and homebound residents, robust partnerships with community providers, and a user-friendly registration system, Nassau County has become a model of the COVID-19 vaccination distribution in New York State. The County Department of Health ran four vaccine distribution centers at Nassau Coliseum, Nassau Community College, LIU Post and the “Yes We Can” Community Center. In addition, the County has been partnering with Northwell Health and other medical partners, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, to hold numerous pop-up distribution events targeting hard to reach populations. Nassau also collaborated with various community organizations like churches and synagogues in hard hit communities to serve as pop-up sites to get vaccines in the arms of those most in need.
The County established a designated way for veterans, seniors, and homebound residents to receive appointments. Veterans were able to make appointments through the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency by calling 516-572-6565. A hotline for seniors and the homebound was also created to get shots in the arms of the vulnerable. The Senior/Homebound population can make an appointment by calling 516-227-9590.
For young residents, Nassau County pioneered a first-of-its-kind Student Vaccination Initiative, which vaccinated thousands of eligible students and engaged and trained youth ambassadors to support and encourage peers to roll up their sleeves. The County drew national attention with this program and has been contacted by other Health Departments seeking guidance and detail on the County’s model.
Health equity has been a cornerstone of the Nassau’s vaccine campaign, and the County has utilized multimedia, multilingual communication to promote public confidence in the vaccine by emphasizing its importance for returning to normal. The County reached over 40,000 residents through its SMS text system, which provided information about vaccination appointment availabilities in 6 languages. The Office of Health Equity has held multiple webinars with the County’s minority outreach agencies to provide information about the vaccine, including in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and other languages. County Executive Curran formed the Nassau County Healthcare Equity Group to combat hesitancy of the COVID-19 vaccine and increase vaccine access for communities of color. The Team is led by Deputy County Executive for Health and Human Services Kyle Rose-Louder, and includes the following members from the Office of Minority Affairs, Office of Hispanic Affairs, Office of Asian American Affairs, Office of Health Equity, and the Office of Human Services
For more information on the vaccine and for available appointments at County and partner locations, please visit: www.nassaucountyny.gov/vaccine.