BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Even though it will take months for the vaccine to be widely available to the general public, it's not clear where Erie County will host any of its mass vaccination clinics.
Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday said convention centers are a possibility. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz did not confirm whether the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center would be used as a mass vaccination site. He said "large public facilities" would be used and added the convention center could be a site.
What about the parking lot outside Bills Stadium? The team has already started to prepare for testing of the more than 6,700 fans who will go to Saturday's playoff game. Could the parking lot, which is owned by Erie County and leased by the Buffalo Bills, be used?
"I don't know what the long-term use of the facility is," Poloncarz said. "We wouldn't mind using it in the future."
Poloncarz said the team continuing into the playoffs would prevent the county from even having the possibility of vaccinating anyone there since further testing of fans would take place.
Even beyond the playoffs, the county would need permission from the team to host a vaccination clinic in the lot because the team has the rights to the lots.
"Earlier this year we had a distribution to barbers and beauty shops of face masks and sanitizer in one of the lots across the street from the stadium" Poloncarz said. "While we own (the lots), we don't control it during that period so we can't tell the Bills 'Oh that's ours from now on.' We can work with them and I hope we have the opportunity to work with them."
Erie County on Monday began its first vaccine clinic where they gave Moderna doses to health care workers. Between Monday and Tuesday, 1,500 health care workers will have received the vaccine from the county.
"These doses did not come directly to Erie County," Poloncarz said. "We worked with our local hub to take extra doses that were received by Roswell Park and use it so that we can vaccinate hundreds of individuals in a day."
Poloncarz said the county has the ability to do more vaccinations quicker. They previously vaccinated staff at Kaleida Health.
The county is expecting to vaccinate an additional 7,500 health care professionals by the end of the week.
