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Landers: Overall success of GCC as NYS mass vaccination site could lead to another clinic there

By Mike Pettinella

As the New York State-run mass vaccination clinic at Genesee Community College concludes its five-day run, Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said he believes the operation has gone well enough to justify a repeat performance.

The clinic, which offered 3,500 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, began on Friday and wraps up at 11 a.m. today.

While governmental leaders in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming were upset that it wasn’t limited to residents in their tri-county area, Landers said that, procedurally, after some initial confusion, things went smoothly.

“As soon as the first couple hours died down, on Saturday, Sunday and yesterday, this thing has been a well-oiled machine,” Landers said this morning. “I think the state has been very impressed with the location and the ease of getting people in and out. I think we could have probably doubled the doses easily if the state would have given it to us.”

Landers said he hopes GCC could host another mass vaccination clinic in the near future.

“We’re hoping that the state looks at this as, maybe, a location that they can permanently staff with their own people, and not have it interfere with the Genesee County allocation. I hope the state looks at this and sees the positives that this location affords,” he said.

He said the college is a “logical place” for a clinic.

“They have one in Buffalo and one in Rochester, and the one here in Genesee County -- if they keep it the same way -- they’re still serving people from the western and eastern sides of Monroe and Erie counties (respectively) along with residents in our area,” he offered. "So, they’re still accomplishing (vaccinating people in) a large region and they have a great site.”

Landers did acknowledge long lines in the first couple hours on Friday as a result of the switch from the county’s regular clinic to the state clinic.

Going forward, he said it is important that any operation run by the state does not interfere with the Genesee County clinic nor the vaccine allocations that come directly to the county.

“Also, we would to have the state use its people to staff its site,” he said. “It’s one thing for us to use all of our staff to assist over a five-day span, but we need our employees for our needs here in Genesee County.”

Previously: Nearly half of the 3,500 COVID-19 vaccine doses at first GCC clinic booked by Erie County residents

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