Rockland County Exec Day seeks direct purchase of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine

Rockland County Executive Ed Day has sent a direct appeal to the leadership of Pfizer asking that his constituents receive their “fair share” of the company”™s Covid-19 vaccine.

In a letter to Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla, Day acknowledged an earlier letter that Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent the company seeking to buy the vaccine directly for the state, which has only been allocated 250,000 doses per week by the federal government. Day emphasized that 10% of his constituents have tested positive for Covid-19 and the county had New York”™s “second highest death rate in the state.” He also stressed the role of Pfizer”™s Pearl River Research and Development site in the vaccine”™s development and the county”™s “extensive history of supporting Pfizer.”

“I understand that any agreement for the direct sale of vaccine between Pfizer and the state of New York would require the approval of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” Day wrote.

“However, I humbly request that any sale of vaccine here in New York include a provision which guarantees the distribution of vaccine directly to Pfizer’s home county of Rockland. This distribution should be based on eligible population; all we are asking is that we receive our fair share.”