Over 5,000 Vaccines Administered at Ulster County Fairgrounds
Within six minutes of entering the parking lot at Ulster County Fairgrounds, Julia Blake and Jess Cerbone were wearing stickers that said, “I’ve been vaccinated!”
The two Marist seniors followed flashing signs directing them toward the mass vaccination site, one of ten that opened on March 19 in New York State. Members of the National Guard greeted them and took their temperature before checking their paperwork and ushering them behind a divider. They were promptly asked a series of basic health screening questions before receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
“We were joking that we were weaving in and out so much it felt like we were at Disneyland, except this time there was no line,” Cerbone said.
The Ulster County location joins other state-run mass vaccination sites with a goal of vaccinating 1,000 New Yorkers daily. As of March 26, over 5,300 vaccines had been administered at the Ulster County Fairgrounds location alone, according to New York State Department of Health Spokesman Jonah Bruno.
“We look forward to continuing to provide this service as long as it takes to ensure that everyone who wants one has access to a vaccine,” Bruno said.
The state’s vaccine rollout began mid-December in 2020, first reaching frontline health care workers. Eligibility has since broadened to include other comorbidities and lines of work and most recently includes adults 50 years of age and older. Over 5.8 million New Yorkers have received at least one dose of a vaccine for COVID-19.
After Cerbone and Blake received their doses, they were required to spend 15 minutes in a waiting area to ensure they did not have an adverse reaction to the vaccine. “The feeling in the room was just hopeful. People were taking pictures of their loved ones getting vaccinated and with them and their ‘I’ve been vaccinated’ stickers,” Blake said. Cerbone added: “I think everyone is ready for this craziness to be over and having done my part felt so special.”
An Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) Bus transported people to and from the parking lot and vaccination center. Brenda Ireland, one of the bus drivers, said the UCAT buses have been used at other vaccination centers in the county. Monday, March 22, was her first day working at the fairgrounds.
“It’s running very smoothly. Everything is well organized,” Ireland said. “Everybody is very happy and I think that the outcome of this is just a positive-positive, win-win.”
According to the governor’s press office, vaccination sites have opened throughout the state to provide equitable access to the vaccine. Over 145 pop-up sites opened in public housing developments and community spaces. The state opened a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium and joined with FEMA to open six other community-based sites.
Apart from the state-run site at the fairgrounds, Ulster County itself had administered more than 50,000 vaccines as of March 22, according to a press release from the county.
“Ensuring that we can vaccinate all of our residents in a safe, rapid, and equitable way remains my top priority as we continue to work to increase access to this life-saving vaccine,” County Executive Pat Ryan said. “While the increase in vaccines is welcome news, we cannot forget that we are still not through this. I am encouraging all residents to continue to wear masks, socially distance, and take necessary precautions to stop the spread.”
