| Message from Commissioner Neifeld Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting |
| Dear Colleagues and Friends, OPWDD appreciates your ongoing partnership as we begin to adjust required COVID-19 reporting and enhanced safety protocols to reflect our current pandemic status. To that end, I want to make you aware that as of Friday, July 8, OPWDD is suspending its routine COVID-19 vaccination reporting for the people we support and staff, just as other state agencies have done. As you know, we began collecting vaccination information and providing it verbally to our stakeholders in January 2021. Information about vaccine uptake has been a valuable tool for identifying areas of need and connecting with communities to emphasize the importance of vaccination. However, now that the vaccine is widely available and the data shows only minor changes in vaccine uptake from week to week, we have identified that this time- and resource-intensive reporting has become less useful in informing our efforts and policy decisions. I encourage you to reach out to me with any concerns you may have regarding this change at info@opwdd.ny.gov. I want to assure you that we remain mindful that COVID-19 is still a concern and that education and advocacy about receiving the vaccine continues to be an ongoing priority for this agency and its providers. OPWDD will continue to work with providers and CCOs to ensure that the people we support receive education about the benefits of vaccination and that individuals choosing to get vaccinated can do so. Sincerely, Kerri E. Neifeld Commissioner |
ENYDDA 