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HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROMOTES #VaxtoSchool CAMPAIGN AT COVID-19 CLINICS

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Gift Card incentive for youth ages 12-17 who receive Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

NEW CITY, NY, – The Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH) announces a collaboration with Governor Hochul’s #VaxToSchool initiative by bringing it to the upcoming Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 clinics. The program’s goal is to get more young people vaccinated to further curb the spread of COVID-19 and make schools safer. #VaxtoSchool campaign includes promotional material and a new Instagram channel @VaccinateNY aimed at educating school-aged New Yorkers and their families about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination. Every child aged 12-17 who lives in New York State and gets their Pfizer COVID-19 shot at our Health Department clinics, starting on October 19, will receive a gift card after each shot (while supplies last).

Upcoming RCDOH Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination clinics:

Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A (50 Sanatorium Road, Pomona 10970)

  • Tuesday, October 19, from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Wednesday. October 27, from 3:00 pm -7:00 pm
  • Wednesday, November 3, from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday, November 9, from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Palisades Center (1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack 10994)

  • Sunday, October 24, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (1st Floor in Front of H&M)
  • Sunday, November 14, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (1st Floor, Kay Jewelers Court, near Best Buy)

Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center (110 Bethune Blvd, Spring Valley 10977)

  • Monday, November 1, from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

To make an appointment at the RCDOH visit, http://rcklnd.us/covid19. Appointments are strongly encouraged. You may walk into any clinic; no appointment is necessary; however, there may be a wait. Any 12–17-year-old receiving the vaccine must arrive with a parent or guardian who will sign a consent form. The parent or guardian must show some form of personal identification, such as a driver’s license. If you have health insurance, please bring your benefit card with you. The vaccine is free; however, the health department can collect an administrative fee from insurance plans. All are welcome regardless of immigration status. Children 12-17 are currently only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Children younger than 12 are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

“The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine uses mRNA technology which continues to prove to be safe and effective for individuals 12+. This vaccine is an important public health tool that protects people from getting sick or severely ill with COVID-19 and may also help those around you. While children are less likely to suffer serious illness from COVID-19, they remain at risk for spreading the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends every child 12 or older receive the vaccine. I urge all eligible children 12 years of age and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19, so we can get back to a safe classroom experience while protecting their health and the health of other students, teachers, and staff in our schools,” said County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is also available at other locations; visit the New York State Am I Eligible webpage or Vaccines.gov to find a vaccine near you. You can also check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination walk-ins or appointments are available. For questions, more information, or if you need assistance scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, call 845-238-1956 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday (except holidays).

To learn more about COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged New Yorkers and the NY #VaxtoSchool campaign, visit https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/covid-19-vaccines-school-aged-new-yorkers.

ADDITIONAL FLU VACCINE CLINICS AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND IN THE COMMUNITY

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Getting your flu shot now can lower your chances of getting the flu!

NEW CITY, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce that the Health Department has scheduled several flu (influenza virus) vaccine clinics for the 2021-2022 flu season. These clinics are for everyone 6 months and older and will be held on:

Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A (50 Sanatorium Road, Pomona 10970)

  • Friday, October 22, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Palisades Center (1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack 10994)

  • Sunday, October 24, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (1st Floor in Front of H&M)
  • Sunday, November 14, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (1st Floor, Kay Jewelers Court, near Best Buy)

You can also receive your flu shot at any of our scheduled COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The flu vaccine may be taken at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. In order to receive a flu vaccine, everyone must wear a mask. To make a flu vaccine appointment visit http://rcklnd.us/flu. Walk-ins are welcome and will be registered on-site; however, there may be a wait.

There is a $20 fee for those with private insurance who are 6 months through 64 years old: cash or check accepted. For those with private health insurance, we will provide you with a receipt to submit to your health insurance for possible reimbursement. To make the process quicker, please visit http://rcklnd.us/flu, fill out the top two fillable portions of the 2021-2022 FLU VACCINE FORM, and print and bring the completed form with you.

The vaccine is free of charge if you:

  • are 65 years and older (please bring identification with proof of age)
  • have Medicare or Medicaid (please bring your card)
  • are uninsured or underinsured

The Health Department is giving the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which does not contain preservatives, including thimerosal. The vaccine is called quadrivalent because it offers protection against four different flu virus strains that research shows will be most common during this flu season: two influenza (flu) A virus strains and two influenza B virus strains. It is recommended that you wait for 15 minutes after being vaccinated to be observed for any reaction.

In addition, the Health Department, along with the Rockland County Office for the Aging, and Montefiore Nyack Hospital, has coordinated the following flu vaccine clinics for ages 65 years and older only. The quadrivalent flu vaccine (not the high-dose flu vaccine for seniors) supplied by the Health Department, is offered free of charge. For more information on the following community-based clinics listed below, contact Sandra Arevalo at Montefiore Nyack Hospital (845) 348-2876.

Street Community Center (31 Zukor Road, New City 10956)

  • Tuesday, October 19, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
  • Thursday, October 28, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm
  • Monday, November 1, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Knights of Columbus (Haverstraw Senior Club, 56 West Broad Street, Haverstraw 10927)

  • Monday, October 25, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Pascack Community Center (87 New Clarkstown Road, Nanuet 10954)

  • Monday, October 25, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
  • Thursday, October 28 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday, November 3 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Congers Community Center (8 Gilchrest Road, Congers 10920)

  • Tuesday, October 26, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday, October 27, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Middlewood Senior Center (80 N. Middletown Road, Nanuet 10954)

  • Tuesday, October 26, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm

St. Francis of Assisi Church (128 Parrott Road, West Nyack 10994)

  • Wednesday, October 27, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Monday, November 1, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

JCC of Rockland (450 W Nyack Road, West Nyack 10994)

  • Friday, October 29, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

“The flu is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes death. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Getting the flu vaccine is the main way to prevent the flu and its complications. With the more contagious COVID-19 Delta variant circulating, preventing a severe flu season from arriving along with the COVID-19 pandemic is even more critical. Flu season usually peaks in January or February and can last until May. Getting your flu shot offers protection through the holidays and for the rest of the flu season,” said Dr. Ruppert.

In addition to getting your flu and COVID-19 shot, it is important to continue to follow the CDC’s public health prevention measures, such as wearing a mask indoors, staying 6 feet away from others not within your household, washing your hands often, and staying home if sick. These measures will not only help to slow the spread of COVID-19 but also help to reduce flu infections, along with getting your flu shot.

For more information about the flu and the flu vaccine clinics, visit http://rcklnd.us/flu or call (845) 364-2534. 

Skoufis Tours Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks;Continues Push for Sebago Beach Reopening

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Senator James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley) joined Senator José Serrano, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks & Recreation; Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development; leadership from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation; and the Palisades Parks Conservancy for a tour of Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks last week. The group reviewed a new proposal for a unified and reinvigorated multi-season, multi-use destination that could better support the two parks’ nearly 3 million annual visitors. 

Assessing the extensive damage still unresolved from 2011’s Tropical Storm Lee and subsequent storms, Skoufis called for a swift reconstruction and reopening of Sebago Beach. Once a hugely popular destination for summer fun, Sebago Beach served countless local families and Hudson Valley visitors for six decades as one of three public beaches within Harriman State Park. The beach’s decade-long closure has resulted in overcrowding in other parts of the park, especially as locals have sought outdoor recreation to battle the effects of pandemic isolation. For nearly half a decade, Skoufis has led the campaign to reopen Sebago, fighting for state funding and working with local stakeholders to assess the damage and identify a path forward. Funding in this year’s state budget was allocated for preliminary environmental studies and early planning efforts. 

The legislators and NYS Parks also toured other recreational areas to review proposed facility improvements to Reeves Meadow, Silver Mine, Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, Bear Mountain’s large play field, and Hessian Lake.

“We cannot allow Sebago Beach to be lost to the elements when so many families have known its potential as a recreational treasure,” said Senator Skoufis. “After over a year of pandemic-related isolation, we know that mental health and physical health are inextricably bound together, and creating safe, healthy environments for residents to relax and enjoy themselves is critical. I am thrilled to see Parks leadership putting forth a unified vision for Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks, and I urge the state to carve out any resources necessary to ensure safe swimming, boating, hiking, and socializing can continue here in years to come.”

“As Chair of the Senate Committee on State Parks, I believe that access to nature provides real physical and mental health benefits,” said Senator Serrano. “As we seek to connect even more New Yorkers with parks, it is essential that we preserve, protect, and enhance our green spaces, making them safe and accessible for all. Harriman and Bear Mountain are a refuge for diverse communities across the city and state, providing an ideal setting for countless recreational activities. I thank New York State Parks for setting their sights to the future of these parks, and Senator Skoufis for his strong advocacy and commitment to ensuring that New Yorkers can enjoy these wonderful green spaces for generations to come.”

“Parks provide essential services year-round,” said Assembly Member O’Donnell. “They give kids opportunities to engage in hands-on learning activities, improve our green infrastructure, and support public health. I am proud to oversee the Assembly’s Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts, and Sports Development during this critical time in our pandemic recovery. Revitalizing all of our parks—including Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks—is key to charting a new path forward. Senator Skoufis has been a consistent champion of parks, and I look forward to working with him to ensure they remain fully accessible to the public.”

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