New Covid Vaccination Efforts Afoot
In the wake of the closure last week of the New York State Covid-19 mass vaccination site at Stony Brook Southampton College, several other vaccination efforts are popping up throughout the region, particularly in Riverhead, where vaccination rates continue to lag.
Riverhead Town will hold a two-day vaccination clinic on Thursday, Aug. 12 and Friday, Aug. 13 at the town’s Senior Center on Shade Tree Lane in Aquebogue, while Peconic Bay Medical Center announced this week that it is offering vaccination clinics on Saturdays at its corporate campus on Second Street in Riverhead, as well as pop-up vaccination PODS throughout the East End, including at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Thursday, Aug. 19.
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital will also be providing walk-in vaccinations at its Parrish Memorial Hall adjacent to the hospital on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m.
Free Covid-19 vaccinations are also readily available at pharmacies and doctor’s offices throughout the region.
Aquebogue Clinic Aug. 12 & 13
The Riverhead Town Clinic at the Aquebogue Senior Center (60 Shade Tree Lane in Aquebogue) is being held in conjunction with the Long Island Farm Bureau and the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, and will distribute the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to senior citizens, agricultural workers, and all Riverhead Town residents ages 12 and up between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Pre-registration is required by calling the town supervisor’s office at 631.727.3200 ext. 653 or the Riverhead Senior Center at ext. 290 to schedule an appointment. You may also pre-register by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CFRC6R8, where you will receive a call back to schedule an appointment.
“This unified outreach partnership provides us the ability to assist our agricultural community, our senior population, our youth and anyone else in the Town of Riverhead who has not yet been able to obtain the Covid-19 vaccine,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar. “Any senior resident who is in need of
transportation to receive the vaccine may call the Riverhead Senior Center or my office to coordinate and schedule an appointment. Although I do not personally believe in mandating vaccinations, I ask that you please consider being vaccinated to decrease the chance of becoming critically ill.”
“Long Island Farm Bureau and our farming community have always been community advocates for the Town of Riverhead,” said Long Island Farm Bureau Director Rob Carpenter. “This opportunity to participate in a vaccination drive to help the farmers, the farm workers and citizens of Riverhead Town is a tremendous opportunity. We look forward to working with Supervisor Aguiar and members of the Town staff to make this a successful event.”
“It is so important to have the vaccine available as often as possible,” said Sister Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate. “This is a great opportunity for the community workers to have this protection.”
Northwell/PBMC Outreach
Northwell Health’s Peconic Bay Medical Center will continue to deliver vaccinations at its Entenmann Campus at 4 West Second Street in Riverhead and at pop-up sites throughout Eastern Suffolk County in the coming months.
New York State recently identified several Eastern Suffolk County communities among those with high levels of new cases, including several areas surrounding the hospital.
“The pandemic is still not over, and unfortunately, we have seen that Eastern Suffolk communities fall below others in vaccination rates. This puts the community at risk. If you have questions or concerns about getting the vaccine, please call us and we can help allay fears,” said Dr. Amy E. Loeb, executive director of Peconic Bay Medical Center. “As we see Covid cases increasing as the Delta variant is spreading, we want to make sure that we’re providing easy access to our community members who have not yet been vaccinated to have a place they can come to receive it. We are here for you, and we want to make sure we do everything in our power to ensure that this community does not have an increase in covid-positive patients requiring hospitalization.”
In addition to offering vaccines every Saturday at the West Second Street campus in Riverhead, Peconic Bay Medical Center will also be providing an opportunity for anyone age 12 and up to receive a free Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination at an upcoming POD hosted at the Children’s Museum of the East End on Thursday, Aug.19. The pod is a partnership between Northwell Health, the Children’s Museum of the East and OLA East End, and 50 first doses will be available between 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Recently, Peconic Bay Medical Center partnered with the William Floyd School District to host a vaccination clinic to help keep the community safe as the new school year approaches. During the pop-up clinic, of the 85 vaccinations administered, 45 doses were given to students ages 12 to 18 years old.
Anyone interested in learning more about Covid-19 vaccines can reach out to Patricia Mupo, Director of Infection Prevention at 631.548.6883. To schedule an appointment or learn more about upcoming pods planned in the region visit: http://www.pbmchealth.org/vaccine.
Stony Brook Southampton Mid-Week Clinics
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital began operating a new Covid-19 vaccination site on Aug. 3, which will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Parrish Memorial Hall at the corner of Lewis Street and Herrick Road. This new vaccination site was organized after Governor Cuomoannounced the closing of the state-run vaccination site at the Stony Brook Southampton campus as part of the ongoing downscaling of state-run vaccination sites.
The Pfizer (1st and 2nd doses) and limited single dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines will be available. No appointment is required for either vaccine. The hospital is asking people who wish to be vaccinated to park in the designated parking spaces along Herrick Road. Entrance to the vaccination site is in the rear of Parrish Hall. Please bring a legal ID and wear short sleeves for the injection.
“I am thrilled that Stony Brook Southampton Hospital will begin operating a new COVID-19 vaccination site for any member of our community who wishes to be vaccinated,” said State Assemblyman Fred Thiele.” Now is not the time to let our guard down. We must remain vigilant and continue taking all of the precautions necessary to ensure our communities remain safe.”
ELIH Efforts
Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital is also working to organize vaccination PODs throughout the region, including events in early August in the Mattituck-Cutchogue and Hampton Bays school districts. Stay tuned here for more details.
