With mass vaccination efforts now a month in, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has released a new online tool to help Virginians determine their eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine under the state’s multi-phase plan and when they can get it.
.@VDHgov has a new online tool to help you determine your eligibility for the #COVID19 vaccine.
It takes less than two minutes to fill out, and when your turn comes, you will get an alert with instructions for how to register: https://t.co/bk9DI4s9js
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) January 11, 2021
Completing the process is relatively simple and should not take more than 5 minutes maximum. Here is a step-by-step rundown.
Once on the correct VDH webpage, respondents will be asked for the locality of their residence and then if they live or work in a congregated setting, such as assisting living facilities. The next screen will ask if the person is a specific type of healthcare or essential worker.
Next, respondents will be asked if they are living in a correctional facility, homeless shelter or migrant labor camp, to provide their age range, whether or not they have any medical conditions like cancer or obesity, and then if they are a different type of essential worker.
Lastly, respondents will need to enter their first and last name, email and phone number in order to be notified by the VDH when eligible to receive and register for a COVID-19 vaccine. The webpage does note that submitting such information does not reserve a vaccine.
The online tool can be accessed through this link.
Virginia officially began its vaccination push back on December 15, with frontline healthcare personnel who directly treat COVID patients receiving the initial supply of doses. As part of Phase 1a of the state’s plan, the next group to receive vaccinations was residents and staff of long-term care facilities through a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreen pharmacies.
Currently, most providers administering vaccines are still working on group 1a, but the VDH announced last Friday that 11 health districts will start vaccinating people that fall into Phase 1b this week and the entire state should be doing the same by the end of the month.
Included within group 1b are persons aged 75 and up, those living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters or migrant labor camps and certain essential workers such as first responders, teachers and grocery store employees.
As of Wednesday, the state has distributed 904,400 doses of vaccines and has administered 216,257 shots. And 22,985 Virginians have been fully vaccinated with the two required shots. Out of all the different facilities providing vaccinations, hospitals have by far administered the most with 112,747 so far, according to the VDH COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
For more information on the vaccines, Virginia’s plan or other related topics, visit: www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine
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Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
