Lawmakers Urge Cuomo to Prioritize Veterans for Coronavirus Vaccines

Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus (D-Southern Brooklyn) and Assembly colleagues urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to prioritize elderly and immunocompromised veterans in distributing coronavirus vaccines.

In a letter to the governor, assembly members asked that New York coordinate vaccine distribution with Veterans Administration facilities to identify older veterans and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of contracting severe COVID-19 related illnesses. New York is home to some of the largest populations of veterans of World War II and the Korean Conflict.[1] Assembly members signing on included Frontus; Michelle C. Solange; Brian Barnwell; Marianne Buttenschon; Steve Stern; William C. Conrad III; Gina L. Sillitti; Sandy Galef; Harvey Epstein; Anna Kelles; Khaleel M. Anderson; and Steven Englebright.

With New Yorkers struggling to navigate city and state distribution procedures amid a sluggish start to a mass vaccination effort, some veterans who don’t live in group homes or meet the age requirements for groups eligible for vaccination can be kept waiting.[2] By coordinating with veterans facilities, the lawmakers said the state can ensure that vulnerable veterans are not overlooked.