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Cuomo Seeks to Buy Vaccines Directly From Pfizer for New York

Cuomo Says N.Y. to Give More Vaccine Doses to Faster Facilities

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he asked Pfizer Inc. if the state could buy vaccines directly from the company because the U.S. government has failed to increase supply.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded eligibility to more than 7 million New Yorkers, but has not increased -- and in some cases decreased -- the supply to states, Cuomo said Monday at a press conference. New York state will receive 250,000 doses this week, 50,000 fewer than last week. At that rate, it would take seven months to inoculate those eligible, he said.

No state has ever purchased vaccines directly from the producer, but “my job is to pursue every avenue,” he said.

Cuomo said the state will give fewer or no new doses to health-care facilities that are slow to administer the vaccine, while faster facilities will get more doses. He pointed to a wide disparity of administration, with many places using all of their allotment while others have distributed 20% to 50%.

“Places that get it out first will get priority,” he said.

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