Guidance on who can be vaccinated when and where has been extremely precise globally, nationally, and locally in the rollout of the vaccine to protect people against COVID-19. During the initial NYS Phase 1a, a set of vulnerable people were close to being eligible, but were left out, according to Dutchess County Marcus Molinaro, who implored the need to vaccinate them in a letter sent to Governor Cuomo on January 22, 2021.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who attend “congregate care facilities” during the day, but do not stay overnight, were not included in the initial phase. Marcus Molinaro’s daughter lives on the autism spectrum, which led him to into advocacy for people with special abilities and compelled him to start ThinkDIFFERENTLY, a programmatic foundation of Dutchess County.

According to the letter sent by Molinaro to Governor Cuomo, and confirmed by Colleen Pillus, Communication Director for Dutchess County, people age 18+ who attend “congregate care facilities” by day, and do not sleep over as live-in residents, were not eligible for the vaccination, but the staff supporting them were eligible. Staff and residents at OPWDD, OMH and OASAS facilities were granted eligibility early on. Also at issue are that “these groups are eligible but they are not prioritized for supply. They are a population that cannot easily access the vaccinations the way the supply is being currently being distributed by New York State,” Colleen clarified to A Little Beacon Blog.

Said Dutchess County Executive Molinaro to Governor Cuomo in the letter, people with IDD have a hard time understanding social distancing or mask wearing. He stated: “Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially those who live in group homes or in congregate care settings, face an immense risk from COVID-19. These facilities continue to suffer from the ravages of this pandemic as the greatest protections we have are not always practical for many of these individuals, as some struggle to understand social distancing and have difficulty wearing masks. These are unique challenges that have contributed to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on individuals living with disabilities.”

Apparently not hearing a response from New York State (Molinaro ran against Cuomo for the Governor position in 2018 and was defeated), the County Executive took it upon himself to set aside 60 doses of the vaccine for the IDD community in congregate care facilities during the day in a “mobile pop-up POD” in New Horizons Resources in Pleasant Valley (video here).

“Without specific direction from New York State as to which providers are to prioritize vaccinating the countless residents across the state who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Dutchess County has taken it upon itself to inoculate such residents locally. Hospitals cannot simply be the ‘catch-all’ for eligible groups like this who fall through the state system’s cracks; it’s not practical for them to vaccinate healthcare workers and seemingly every other eligible group. Where the state has failed our special-needs community, Dutchess County has proudly stepped up to ThinkDIFFERENTLY and serve this constituency, which has been marginalized by Albany since the beginning of the pandemic.”

When asked if the Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro thought that priorities should not exist, his office answered: “Not at the moment, due to supply restrictions it remains important to prioritize those most at risk. Currently, the vaccine is first and foremost a tool to save as many lives as possible and the quicker we can vaccinate individuals the more lives we can save. Early on in the rollout, the State’s eligibility criteria were too narrow causing delays in getting shots into arms but as they opened the criteria to include, first, people over the age of 75 and, then, those over the age of 65, it became less of a problem. The issues now are supply – access to vaccine doses – and distribution – getting doses to entities that can most efficiently vaccinate eligible individuals. There is still rigidity in the State’s requirements as to which providers should be prioritizing or not prioritizing specific groups which meet the eligibility criteria. Dutchess County is focused on vaccinating as many eligible people as possible, but also focusing on our most vulnerable. That should be our shared goal -- to vaccinate as many people as quickly possible with priority given to those most at-risk. If we hold ourselves to that goal, it will be anything but divisive, it will be simple, understandable, and unifying.”

Vaccines doses continue in short supply throughout the country, and the world, While Dutchess County and other counties across the nation are set up to vaccinate many people, the doses are not there yet from the federal government and the manufacturers.

People can sign up for email updates about vaccinations from Dutchess County here.

Update 2/11/2021: In answers to reader questions on Instagram where this article was shared, Dutchess County Executive Molinaro confirmed: “Every individual secured approval from their guardian, is under the observation of their agency and the State approves of our actions.”