State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt was the only New York lawmaker to attend the Operation Warp Speed COVID-19 Vaccine Summit at the White House on Tuesday. 

The event included the country’s top health officials, including Dr. Deborah Birx, representatives from FedEx and UPS, who will deliver vaccines, spokespeople for CVS and Walgreens, and the Republican governors of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee.

“Beginning last March, I have worked as both a state legislator and a member of the Army National Guard to ensure Hudson Valley residents have the resources and assistance they need to combat and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Assemblyman Colin Schmitt said. “I have witnessed the success that can be achieved when government at the federal, state, and local levels work with one another and with the private sector. As one of the nation’s most affected regions, my focus will be to help ensure that every Hudson Valley resident has access to the vaccine.”

“After speaking with Dr. Deborah Birx, who has led the White House Coronavirus Task Force from the outset of the pandemic, and General Perna, who serves as Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed, I have confidence that the infrastructure will be available to provide New York State with its initial supply of the vaccine. As a member of the State Assembly, I will work with the Governor’s office to ensure that priority is given to frontline health care workers, first responders, and our region’s most vulnerable residents. Further, I believe that it is critically important that all appropriate health care agencies, including public, private, and not-for-profit providers, are engaged to expedite the vaccine’s distribution,” Schmitt added. 

Assemblyman Schmitt says he will be contacting the Governor’s office on Wednesday to go over some of these plans. 

New York State will receive an initial delivery of enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for 170,000 New Yorkers on December 15. 

Additional allocations of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to be delivered later this month. 

Under New York’s vaccination plan, nursing home residents and staff will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.