Montgomery County launches vaccine waitlist hotline
FONDA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Montgomery County is making it a little bit easier to get answers about the coronavirus vaccine thanks to a new vaccine waitlist hotline that aims to connect residents with a county worker who can answer questions about the vaccine.
While the state has opened up the eligibility requirements for the vaccine, there is still a limited supply of doses coming in every week, and it has been difficult for many people to get answers for questions they may have. County Executive Matthew Ossenfort said this has created a waiting list that's exceeding 3,000 people.
Montgomery County currently has over 2,400 lab confirmed cases with 248 new cases in the past week. The hotline has been successful, Ossenfort said. He said residents have appreciated the human interaction, and he hopes more doses become available as they look to set up more vaccine clinics.
"The response has been great, and again, I think it's because it's that person to person contact," Ossenfort said. "People are appreciative that they call and leave a voicemail and we get back to them. At a time where people are isolated, getting a recording or not being able to talk to someone only makes things worse. Some of the questions we are getting are very simple, and we can get people answers. "
You can call the hotline at 518-853-8247. It's available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday.