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Poloncarz says mass vaccination center could be open in a month

Site would be at Buffalo Convention Center

BUFFALO (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday that he expects to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center to be transformed into a mass vaccination site "hopefully within a month."

"The governor announced that they are planning on doing mass vaccination centers, working with the counties across New York State and in conjunction with the National Guard," said Poloncarz. "I immediately responded, saying the county wants to partner with the state on opening a mass vaccination site that would be a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week site at the convention center."


Poloncarz believes the county would be able to provide 3,000 doses a day at the convention center and possibly more depending on the number of individuals they receive from the National Guard.

Of course, having a mass vaccination site would essentially be a moot point if there isn't enough supply to accommodate 3,000-plus doses a day.

"Yesterday, (Governor Cuomo) was in the White House with President Biden, and the President assured them that they will be getting more doses soon," said Poloncarz. "When? We don't know exactly, but the President assured them it is their plan to vaccinate 300 million Americans with both doses by the end of June, which means there would be a tremendous ramp-up in a short period of time to get those doses into the arms of our residents and across the country."

Poloncarz noted that they've already done some of the logistical legwork in terms of parking, cost, electrical and heating requirements, space, etc., in regard to making the convention center a mass vaccination site, but they'll need to walk through those plans with the state and National Guard.

"We would not open the convention center until we have adequate supply to handle a facility such as that," he said. "The cost associated with opening is not inexpensive - we're talking approximately $10,000 to run that place and have it open for a week, so we're not going to open it until we have vaccine capability of doing a mass vaccination site."

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