VDH COVID-19 Update: Vaccines for 75 and older to begin Jan 25

Submitted by tim on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 12:25

Daily Update on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

January 15, 2021

New or updated information is in red and bold

This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19

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Please visit the Vermont Department of Health’s COVID-19 web and data pages
healthvermont.gov/covid19

COVID-19 vaccine registration for people 75 and older will begin Jan. 25

State officials announced at Friday’s press conference that registration for the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are 75 years and older will begin on January 25.

Vaccine clinics will start on January 27. People will register online, or by calling a phone number. The website and phone number will be announced on or before January 25, in addition to other details.

“Now that Vermonters know more about our plans, we are anticipating plenty of interest and questions,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. “This will be good news for many people, but I again need to ask for your patience and help as we finalize our systems so they can be rolled out as smoothly as possible.”

You will not be able to make an appointment by calling any other Health Department phone number. Please do not call your health care provider or hospital for vaccine appointments.

“By waiting until we have more details to share, you’ll be helping our staff focus on the difficult and complex work to prepare for this next phase,” Dr. Levine said.

Dr. Levine also announced that people who have certain high-risk health conditions will be able to receive the vaccine once vaccinations of the 65+ age groups are complete. These are medical conditions that put people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 as identified by the CDC. Severe illness is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death.

These are:

Current cancer
Chronic kidney disease
COPD, also called emphysema
Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)
Severe obesity
Pregnancy
Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Down Syndrome
Sickle cell disease

Dr. Levine also emphasized the state’s commitment to addressing the historical and current factors that contribute to health disparities.

“There is no question that members of certain demographic groups have been disproportionately overrepresented in Vermont’s COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates,” he said. “This means we must prioritize these groups to reach our goal of preserving life and protecting those most at risk.”

“We have been working with community leaders, we have listened, and we are committed to continuing to right past wrongs. We will ensure that this community gets the support they need, in the language they need, in the locations they need, to make informed choices and to get scheduled for vaccinations,” Dr. Levine said.

Get COVID-19 vaccination info

Stay up to date about COVID-19 vaccination in Vermont, including who can get the vaccine now and who will be eligible next. Check back often, we update this page regularly. Get more data about vaccinations by race, ethnicity, age and sex on our Vaccine Dashboard.

While we wait for vaccine to become more widely available to Vermonters, we must keep up our prevention practices, including physical distancing, mask-wearing, handwashing and staying home when we’re sick.

You can also help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by getting tested. If you want to get tested for COVID-19 and have no symptoms, you can visit a location near you. There are now more than 15 regular locations throughout the state, and more of them are now open daily. Many sites now allow you to take a sample yourself, using a short swab in your nose. It’s quick, easy and free.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your health care provider so they can refer you for testing. If you don’t have a provider, you can call 2-1-1.

New on healthvermont.gov

Recently, the percent of people with COVID-19 who are associated with an outbreak has been lower than average, while the percent of people who had contact with another case has been higher than average. Learn more about how people are getting COVID-19 and what it means in the latest Weekly Data Summary Spotlight.

Case Information

Current COVID-19 Activity in Vermont

As of 12 p.m. on January 15, 2021

Description		Number
New cases*		142 (9,734 total)
Currently hospitalized		44
Hospitalized in ICU		6
Hospitalized under investigation		1
Percent Positive (7-day average)		2.7%
People tested		284,215
Total tests		788,759
Total people recovered		6,506
Deaths+		163
Travelers monitored		188
Contacts monitored		203
People completed monitoring		12,258