Individuals with Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine

Published on: February 16, 2021

This press release was first issued by Jefferson County Public Health on February 12, 2021.

Watertown, NY — On February 5th, Governor Cuomo announced a list of comorbidities and underlying conditions that New York State will use to determine eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. New Yorkers who have one of these conditions will be eligible for the vaccine beginning February 15th. The Jefferson County Public Health Service and area providers are preparing for this expansion in vaccine distribution.

Adults of any age (over 18 years old) with the following conditions due to increased risk of moderate or severe illness or death from the virus that causes COVID-19 are eligible for the vaccine:

• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher) or Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (conditions affecting blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
• Liver disease

Individuals who have one of these conditions will need to verify their eligibility by signing a personal attestation found at www.jcphs.org. Print and sign the attestation from, and bring it with you to your clinic appointment.

The counties in the North Country Region collaborated with others in the Capital Region on the documentation required for this expanded eligibility group to ensure the process is as easy as possible and does not create a barrier to receiving the vaccine. Completing the attestation form is sufficient documentation in confirming eligibility. A doctor’s letter is not necessary. However, if individuals have questions about whether their medical condition qualifies as a co-morbid condition, they should contact their primary care provider to discuss this.

The comorbidity and underlying conditions population is a high percentage of our Jefferson County population and, as with all eligible populations, vaccine availability is limited at this time. Please be patient.