Vaccine appointments are about as scarce as rolls of toilet paper were last year. Still, each week Ulster County has been receiving more than 1000 doses through the state and the federal government recently started sending doses directly to pharmacies. Eventually, anyone who wants a vaccine will have the opportunity to get one. But when?

Seniors, who face the highest risk of death from Covid-19, have thus far confronted the most convoluted process for signing up for a vaccine, needing to navigate among various local pharmacies, each with its own way of doing things. But next week, thanks to expanded eligibility, Ulster County residents of any age who have an underlying condition will have the option to be vaccinated at one of the two county-run sites in Kingston and Ellenville, which have a single, relatively straight-forward signup and notification process.

County Executive Pat Ryan said today that the county has so far received 6800 doses total, less than 10 percent of those needed to provide the first round of shots for the 70,000 Ulster residents who are eligible.