HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Central District Shenandoah announced Monday night that it has extended the COVID-19 vaccination process to those who fall into the Phase 1b category.
The Department of Health has announced that it will close the COVID-19 vaccination clinics for those in Phase 1b priority groups. According to the Virginia Department of Health, Phase 1b is the second group to be able to receive the vaccine, and it contains certain groups of essential workers, such as first responders and teachers.
Central Shenandoah Health District (CSHD) spokeswoman Laura Lee Wight said VDH had reached out to employers of those in the priority groups.
At present there is no registration available to get the vaccine. Currently, the health district is gathering information from those who fall under phase 1b, and will notify them when a vaccine is available to schedule an appointment expected in the coming weeks.
The Central Shenandoah Health District consists of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Lexington, Buena Vista City, and the counties of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham.
According to CSHD, the vaccination efforts for this group will begin the week of January 25th.
VDH said that individuals in this group of Phase 1b must bring a personal identification form, such as a driving license, and that they may also be asked to show proof of qualification, such as a job ID, to be eligible. to come.
Phase 1b includes police, fire and emergency personnel, residents living in correctional facilities, shelters for the homeless and migrant workers, childminders / K-12 teachers and staff, food and agricultural workers, manufacturers, workers in grocery stores, public transport, postal services (USPS and private) and anyone 65 years or older.
The health district said it is working with health care partners, such as hospital systems, federally qualified health centers and ten local pharmacies to vaccinate people 65 and older.
“Given the limited supply of vaccines currently available, the Department of Health’s sponsored PODs and distribution of vaccines by community partners will only be by appointment at this time,” reads a statement from the Central Shenandoah Health District.
Essential workers who want to get the vaccine or have questions should send it by email [email protected].
Anyone aged 65 or over can send an email [email protected] to receive a safe admission to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine when available.
Wight tells WHSV the Central Shenandoah Health District office can not accept calls for vaccination at the moment.
Once a COVID-19 vaccine is available, the Department of Health will contact individuals who have enrolled with instructions on how to register and make an appointment.
“We are pleased to offer a safe and effective vaccine to individuals in phase 1b,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay, director of the CSHD health district, said. ‘We will continue our vaccination efforts in phase 1b throughout the month of February, and we will keep the public informed of our progress in reaching this group and moving on to the next phase. Although the vaccine offers hope on the horizon, it will be months before the vaccine becomes widely available. It is important to remember that we are still very much in the trenches of this pandemic, and we must continue to follow COVID-19 prevention practices, including wearing masks, washing hands and social removal. ”
The CSHD predicts that the availability of the vaccine will increase, then it will move to other phases. Phase 1c will include other essential workers according to the release. It will continue to work with local healthcare partners to make the vaccine available to those who are in phase 1a of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Under what phase do I fall?
The complete definitions of all phases, data and other information are on VDH’s Vaccine Response website at www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/.
You can also take this short quiz to find out here which vaccination phase you fall into.
Virgos that do not fall into a priority phase will be offered the vaccine if it is more available. According to CSHD, the spread will be similar to that of a flu shot, where you can get it at a local pharmacy, primary care, free clinic, local health department or other clinics participating as a COVID-19 vaccination program provider. .
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE:
Central Shenandoah Health District will extend COVID-19 vaccination to Phase 1b recipients
(Staunton City, Augusta County, Va.) – Starting Monday, January 18, the Central Shenandoah Health District (CSHD) will make available closed point of dispensing (POD) COVID-19 vaccination clinics specific to “Phase 1b” priority groups. Phase 1b is the second group eligible to receive the vaccine, and includes police, fire and emergency personnel, residents living in correctional facilities, shelters for the homeless and migrant workers, childcare / K-12 teachers and staff, food and agricultural workers, manufacturers, grocery store workers, public transport, postal providers (USPS and private) and all 65 years and older.
Some of these individuals must be provided with a personal identification form, such as a driver’s license, and may also be required to show proof of qualification, such as a job ID, to be eligible. CSHD will continue to work with local healthcare partners to make the vaccine available to those in Phase 1a. We expect the majority of health workers in Phase 1a to be completed by the end of the month. Efforts continue with staff and residents of competent nursing homes and assistance facilities through a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreens.
Phase 1b essential worker groups include staff in K-12 and day care, and we will begin the week of January 25 with the vaccination efforts for this group. CSHD also works with our healthcare partners such as hospital systems, Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and ten local pharmacies in the district to vaccinate people 65 and older. Given the limited supply of vaccines currently available, the Department of Health’s sponsored PODs and the distribution of vaccines by community partners will only be by appointment at this time.
Vaccination planning teams reach out to employers in Phase 1b. Phase 1b essential workers who want to receive the vaccine or have questions should send an email [email protected]. Anyone aged 65 or over can send an email [email protected] to receive a safe admission to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine when available. Once a COVID-19 vaccine is available, the Department of Health will contact individuals who have enrolled with instructions on how to register and make an appointment. Anyone interested in receiving updates on the distribution efforts in the district can also email [email protected]. Updated information can also be found on the COVID-19 vaccine district website: www.vdh.virginia.gov/central-shenandoah/covid-19-vaccine-information.
“We are pleased to offer a safe and effective vaccine to individuals in phase 1b,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay, director of the CSHD health district, said. ‘We will continue our vaccination efforts in phase 1b throughout the month of February, and we will keep the public informed of our progress in reaching this group and moving on to the next phase. Although the vaccine offers hope on the horizon, it will still be months before the vaccine becomes widely available. It is important to remember that we are still very much in the trenches of this pandemic and that we must continue to follow COVID-19 prevention practices, including wearing masks, hand washing and social distance.
As the availability of the vaccine increases, Virginia will move to the other phases. Phase 1c will include other essential workers. The complete definitions of all phases, data and other information are on VDH’s website Vaccine Response on www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/. Citizens can accept it short quiz to find out under which vaccination phase they fall.
Virgos that do not fall into priority phases will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine if it is more widely available. Once the vaccine has been rolled out to the general public, the distribution will be similar to the flu vaccine. People can get the vaccine from a local pharmacy, primary care physician, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) / free clinic, local health department or other clinic participating as a COVID-19 vaccination program provider.
Meanwhile, it is important to remain vigilant in preventing COVID-19. Continue to protect yourself and others: cover your mouth and nose with a mask, wash your hands regularly and well, stay at least six feet away from others, avoid meetings with someone who is not a member of your household, and get a flu shot.
You can learn more about the vaccine, its safety and answers to frequently asked questions VDH’s website and CDC website.
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