New vaccine phase for those with medical conditions, school staff, first responders

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced today that Phase 5 of the state's COVID-19 vaccination effort will begin March 8 with those with serious medical conditions allowed to make an appointment. Because of the size of the group, it will be split into a Phase 5A of 5B. The 5A group will be comprised of those 55 and older (starting March 8) and a Phase 5B (starting March 15) for those 16 years or older. See list of those medical conditions below. He also announced that school staff and teachers, as well as an expanded group of first responders will also be able to sign up starting the week of March 8.

Those school-related vaccinations will only come from the newly issued Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine or through the Walgreens federal pharmacy program. The medical conditions group can sign up through any source including Walgreens and receive any of the now three vaccines.

The governor (see statement below) said the school staff, teachers and child care workers were added to the latest group of vaccinations because the state needs to get students back to in-person education. He said the students are not achieving academically and their mental health is suffering. Any staff member who physically works in the school is eligible.

Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said at the governor's press briefing Tuesday that over 20,000 doses will be available this week. By March 15 there will be up to about 25,000 first doses and by the end of March the state expects to provide 35,000 initial doses a week.

The National Guard will assist in the vaccination effort at the DoubleTree in South Burlington starting Wednesday and then starting next week in Barre and Springfield. He expects that effort to grow to more sites in the near future.

Walmart will also start to vaccinate Vermonters at its six stores in Vermont starting this week. You must register through the state. He said do not call Walmart (to signup for a vaccine under any Phase, go to healthvermont.gov or call 855-722-7878.)

Kinney drugs will hold a vaccine pop-up on Sunday with 1,100 doses available at Spaulding High School in Barre; for which you must sign up through the state.

As a reminder, the vaccines have not been approved for those under 16 years of age. The governor is not anticipating that happening before next fall.

Phase 5 represents a total of 75,000 Vermonters with high-risk medical conditions. So between new Phase 5 and the school staff and first responder groups (35,000), some 110,000 more Vermonters will be eligible to get vaccinated.

In laying out the state's plan for school staff and child care workers, Smith reiterated the need presented by the governor by saying, "Our kids are not OK."

School staff, child care providers and teachers will be able to sign up starting next week. They will be offered the option of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at clinics in their school districts, including at some smaller schools. More information on this will be available Friday.

They can also sign up for the vaccinations offered by Walgreens. Walgreens will receive a list from the state of those who are eligible through this school plan. School staff can receive either of the two-dose vaccines offered by Walgreens.

Smith said this could begin slowly and ramp up and its pace could be determined by the pace of how much vaccine becomes available.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is advantageous because it is adding to the state's total allotment and because it simply needs regular refrigeration. In addition, it is a single-dose vaccine. It also is a different kind of vaccine from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It's efficacy in preventing a COVID-19 infection is in the 75 percent range, versus in the 90+ percent range for the other two. But it's been shown to prevent serious illness at the same rate and shown to offer 100 percent protection from death due to COVID-19.

However, the governor said the supply of Johnson & Johnson is uncertain at the moment. The state apparently received more than its allotment initially, but the White House said today that Johnson & Johnson needs to ramp up production over the next few weeks to meet overall demand. At this point the states will not receive any J&J vaccine in two weeks until production catches up. J&J is partnering with pharmaceutical giant Merck to increase production.

Still, the governor expects the J&J vaccine allotment to increase to about 4,000 a week by the end of March and 6,000 a week by the end of April.

Also, starting March 8, the definition of first responders will be expanded to police staff and correctional officers. More information on this will come next week.

The governor anticipates that all those in this phase will be vaccinated by the end of April and said he hopes to have everyone who wants a vaccination in Vermont to get one by the end of July.

President Biden today said the entire US population 16 and over could be vaccinated by the end of May.

As for the age band now under way, in the 65-69 age group, already 20,200 of about 42,000 in that group have signed up.

The state's modeling shows that cases and deaths across the nation and in Vermont are falling, though total cases in the Northeast rose a little over the last week.

Smith said he expects the 60 and older health band will begin by the end of March.

Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said that they are reporting 70 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death for 206 statewide.

Dr Levine added that the recent spike in Bennington and Franklin Counties has subsided, though cases are still running higher per capita than in every other county.

He added that recent testing at Bromley and Stratton ski resorts show very few cases either from staff, in-state or out-of-state guests.

Also, colleges, which saw an increase of cases when students returned in January, have showed a marked reduction, including at Norwich University, which has reported zero new cases over the last week, and at the University of Vermont, which this week went to two tests per week from just one.

“Our strategy since the start has been to protect those most at risk and to preserve life. We know age is a top risk factor, and we’re already seeing the positive impacts of our strategy with deaths declining and decreasing case counts amongst our elderly population,” said Governor Scott. “With Johnson & Johnson receiving approval over the weekend, on top of increased supply from Moderna and Pfizer, we’ll be able to scale up and move quicker to get more people vaccinated.”

High-Risk Health Conditions

People with high-risk conditions, which includes approximately 75,000 Vermonters, will be divided into two segments: Phase 5A (Vermonters 55 years old and above with high-risk conditions) will be eligible to register beginning March 8, and Phase 5B (Vermonters 16 and older with high-risk conditions) can register beginning March 15. These groups will be able to register through the State’s standard registration process once their category is opened.

In addition to previously announced high-risk conditions, this phase will also include current cancer, heart disease, pregnancy and disabilities that involve chromosomal disorders, such as Down syndrome and those with compromised lung function. People with these conditions will not need to get documentation of these conditions to receive the vaccine. The full list of conditions can be seen at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine.

Dr. Levine explained the state developed the list of conditions based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was refined using Vermont-specific data.

“We’re glad to be that much closer to protecting these Vermonters, who, as the data shows, are at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Levine.

Education System: School Staff and Child Care Providers

Beginning next week, the state will begin to offer teachers and school staff and childcare providers the option of registering for clinics in their district. Alternatively, this group will be able to make appointments for the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at Walgreens, which is part of the federal pharmacy program.

“As our mental health data shows, our kids are not doing well and there have been serious public health impacts due to the limitations of hybrid and remote learning,” said Governor Scott. “We know getting our kids back in school for in-person instruction five days a week is essential, and this is a step forward on that goal.”

Public Safety System: Extension of Group 1A

The state will expand the definition of first responders to include police staff such as sergeants, lieutenants, and others, 911 call takers who are needed to direct personnel to emergencies, and staff who work in state correctional facilities that house detainees and incarcerated individuals. A list of these employees will be given to Walgreens to allow for registration through that program, and correctional facilities will also have the option of onsite clinics.

“With our additional supply – in parallel with our age banding and high-risk condition strategy – we can make these changes with a focus on getting and keeping the public safety and education systems fully operational, with an emphasis on the well-being of our kids,” Scott said.

The state will provide more details on registration for these groups later this week.

Vaccination Progress

These announcements come as Vermont surpassed the milestone of 100,000 people receiving at least their first dose. Registration opened to Vermonters age 65 and older on Monday and as of Tuesday morning, more than 20,000 people in this age group had registered for an appointment.

By March 15, all those over the age of 16 who are at the highest risk of severe illness and death - whether due to age or a health condition - will be eligible to register for their vaccine.

State officials also welcomed the upcoming introduction of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine into the state’s vaccine supply.

“This third vaccine will be a game-changer,” said Dr. Levine. “It means more of us can get vaccinated more quickly — our pathway out of this pandemic.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is rated as highly effective at preventing serious illness, as are the two vaccines we already have. It’s a single shot that can be kept in normal refrigeration, which makes it easier to distribute and administer. Data for this vaccine showed 100% protection against hospitalization, ICU admission and death. “This is the protection that matters most,” Dr Levine said.

Secretary Smith said that vaccine allocation from the federal government will allow the state to increase its capacity to administer vaccines to 25,000 first doses of vaccine per week by March 15, and to 35,000 per week by the end of the month.

For information about getting vaccinated and to register for an appointment if eligible, visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Anyone who is unable to make their appointment online, needs help, or who wants to speak with someone in a language other than English can call 855-722-7878. The call center is open Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Governor Scott Statement March 2, 2021

Two weeks ago, we opened vaccinations to those 70 and older, and yesterday, the 65-plus population. As of close of business Monday, over 18,600 Vermonters had signed up.

As we’ve said, after this age-band, we’ll next start vaccinating people with certain high-risk conditions because they’re at higher risk if they get COVID-19.

Our strategy since the start has been to protect those most at risk and to preserve life. We know age is a top risk factor, and we’re already seeing the positive impacts of our strategy, with deaths declining and decreasing case counts amongst our elderly population.

With Johnson & Johnson receiving approval over the weekend - on top of increased supply from Moderna and Pfizer - we’ll be able to scale up and move quicker to get more people vaccinated, which allows me to announce some exciting news today.

First, this coming Monday, March 8th, we’ll open Phase 5 for Vermonters with certain high-risk conditions. Because this is a larger population than most of the age-bands, we’re going to split it in two waves.

So, starting Monday, Phase 5A will open to those with certain high-risk conditions over the age of 55. One week later, on March 15th, those 16 and older with these same conditions will be eligible.

I want to emphasize, and we should recognize, what a major milestone this is. By March 15th, all those over the age of 16 who are at the highest risk of severe illness and death, whether due to age or a health condition, will be able to sign up for their vaccine.

It was March 13th of last year when I declared the State of Emergency, and now almost one year later, all the most vulnerable will be eligible for these incredibly effective vaccines.

While I know we still have a way to go, we should think about how remarkable this achievement really is and appreciate the innovation that got us here, as we look forward to getting back to normal.

Next, because of increased supply through Johnson & Johnson and the Federal Pharmacy Program with Walgreens, we’re also able to expand vaccinations for two other systems.

As we discussed on Friday, our kids are not doing well and there have been serious public health impacts due to the limitations of hybrid and remote learning.

We know getting our kids back in school for in-person instruction 5 days a week is essential. So, with these new developments in our vaccine supply, beginning next week, we’ll begin vaccination of school staff as well as childcare and early education providers.

This includes giving them the option of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the 2-dose vaccines through our partnership with Walgreens. There will also be an expansion of Phase 1A, which will expand eligibility in our public safety system.

It’s important to know that the J&J vaccine has proven to be very effective, and with a single shot, it offers logistical benefits, as well. I believe this will prove to be a valuable tool.

These are important steps forward, and with more supply, Vermonters can be optimistic that we’re on pace to be in a very good place by late Spring and early Summer.