Covid vaccines for underlying diseases start soon: How to prove you have a

Albany, NY – New Yorkers with underlying diseases looking to get vaccines against Covid-19 will have to prove they have one, Governor Andrew Cuomo said today.

The state will require a letter from the doctor, medical documentation proving the condition or a certificate signed by the vaccine recipients stating that they have a condition that qualifies them for an injection.

The state will audit the evidence to ensure that the rules are followed, Cuomo said. Some level of fraud is expected, he added.

Anyone who falsely attests that he has a condition that qualifies them for a shot will face execution, said Cuomo.

“Everyone wants this vaccine,” he said. “You have people who are desperate.”

New Yorkers with underlying illnesses will be able to schedule vaccine appointments beginning February 14 at state-run mass vaccination sites, such as the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Shooting at these locations will begin on February 15.

Local health departments will also be able to provide vaccines for people with underlying diseases. They will decide for themselves how and when to schedule appointments and what kind of evidence they will require, Cuomo said.

The underlying conditions that qualify you for a photo include:

• Cancer, current or in remission
• Chronic kidney disease
• Lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome
• Cardiac conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies and hypertension
• Weakened immune system due to an organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, immune deficiencies, use of corticosteroids, use of other drugs to weaken the immune system or other causes
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
• Liver disease

These conditions affect millions of New Yorkers. State vaccine registration sites tend to fail on Sunday when consultations for people with these conditions begin.

“There will be a downturn,” said Melissa DeRosa, an important adviser to Cuomo. “This will not be perfect.”

She asked those who sought consultations to be patient.

Cuomo announced last week that the vaccine’s eligibility would expand to those with underlying conditions that put them at a greater risk for Covid.

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