Cuomo, Curran call for vaccine expansion as state receives fewer doses

New York, Jan. 21 -- Despite encouraging trends for vaccination distribution on Long Island, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued to say that the process needs to be sped up.

Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer's chairman and CEO, AlbertBourla, after the state received 50,000 fewer vaccine doses this week than last week. Cuomo askedBourlaif there were any possibilities for the state to purchase vaccines directly from Pfizer, rather than obtaining them from the federal initiative Operation Warp Speed.

"It is abundantly clear that these vaccines are the weapons that will finally win the war against COVID-19," Cuomo said in the letter. "But with hospitalizations and deaths increasing across the country this winter, ...