Connecticut began vaccinations for COVID-19 in mid-December and the second phase, phase 1b, has begun. Residents over the age of 75 can register for vaccination, and enrollment will soon begin for essential front-line workers, people aged 65 to 74, people aged 16 to 64 with comorbidities and Connecticut residents and staff in the congregation settings.
Early published data from phase one and two studies of the COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccine show that it appears safe and generates an immune response.
Who is in phase 1b in CT?
Phase 1b will include approximately 1.3 million Connecticut residents and several primary groups will be eligible for the phase 1b vaccine, which is expected to begin this month:
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- Essential front-line workers
- Education and care of children
- First responders and public safety
- Transport
- Direct care social services
- Food and food
- Agricultural and agricultural
- manufacturing
- Congregation residents and staff
- Resident aged between 65 and 74 years
- Residents aged between 16 and 64 with high risk conditions
The state said the key factors in determining who should be based on the risk of serious illness or death and in combating health disparities and inequities, according to Interim Commissioner for Public Health Deirdre Gifford. Gifford said patience is needed as the state launches phase 1b.
During his press conference on Thursday afternoon, Governor Ned Lamont revealed additional details about how residents aged 75 and over can schedule meetings with the COVID-19 vaccine.
More detailed information about groups in 1b
- Healthcare providers not included in Phase 1a: All health care workers who may not have received phase 1a vaccine – including mortuary services, OT, PT and telehealth
- Education and care of children: Persons working in schools, educational institutions and childcare institutions (eg teachers, childcare workers, bus drivers, librarians, employees before and after school)
- First responders and public safety: All first responders who were not eligible in Phase 1a, including police officers, fire and correctional officers and people actively working in the courts (eg judges, probation officers, marshals)
- United States Postal Service employee: Individuals working in the delivery and transportation industries, including postal services in the United States, as well as other direct delivery services such as FedEx, UPS and couriers
- Personal transport: Public transport, taxi drivers and currently active drivers and airlines
- Essential retail: Individuals working in retail stores selling goods essential to daily life (eg – grocery store, hardware store and employees in pharmacies / pharmacies)
- Food and restaurants: Individuals working in the food and restaurant industry (eg – chefs, bartenders, waiters / restaurant hosts, dishwashers, fast food and counters)
- Agriculture: People working in agriculture, animal husbandry / animal industry and fishing (eg agricultural workers, fishing, forestry, agricultural inspectors, pest control)
- Manufacturing: Individuals who design or produce products for use or sale. (eg machine operators, metal and plastic workers, installation, maintenance and repair workers)
- Direct social and government services Persons providing direct social or government services (eg, homeless shelter, kitchens, municipal or state social services, and pastoral / religious services in person)
- Public services of drinking water, wastewater and solid waste: Persons working to protect the safety of drinking water and public wastewater systems and collecting and transporting and treating solid waste (eg employees of water and wastewater treatment plants, system operators and collectors of waste and recyclable materials )
Who is in phase 1a in CT?
According to the state’s vaccination website, the following phases are eligible for phase 1a vaccination:
- Medical personnel: All paid and unpaid people serving in health care providers who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients with infectious materials.
- Residents of long-term care units: Adults living in facilities that provide a range of services, including medical and personal care, to people who cannot live independently.
- First respondents at risk of exposure to COVID-19 by their response to medical emergencies, such as emergency medical technicians, police and firefighters. personal.
Phase 1 does not include healthcare workers who do not come into contact with patients or infectious materials, such as telehealth service providers.
Eligible in phase 1a:
- Doctors, nurses, and allied health care providers see patients
- Authorized pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians working on site in pharmacies
- Custody, dietary, administrative and support staff working in patient care settings
- First respondents (police, fire, SME) if they actively respond to 911 medical calls or are involved in the care of COVID cases
- Nurse
- Home health care providers, household companions, CPA
- Residents of long-term care units
- Dentists, dental hygienists and other oral health personnel
- Laboratory staff
- Students who do clinical rotations
Phase 1a eligible people in health care should discuss with their organization’s management to get details on how to access the vaccine.
Some health systems have set up programming scheduling sites for eligible health workers in their systems, as well as for community health workers:
Phase 1c
More information is expected soon.
Future phases
COVID-19 vaccinations will be available to eligible members of the general public starting this summer, according to the state. At that time, you should expect to have access to the vaccine in the same locations where you would normally be vaccinated: pharmacies, medical offices, community health clinics, local health clinics, and through other providers.
An ER physician in New York who has seen the devastating impact of COVID-19 on his patients is now working to combat misinformation about the vaccine. Dr. Steven McDonald of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center joined LX News to explain why communities of color are less likely to trust medical authorities and why it is so important to reduce these doubts.
On Tuesday, the state subcommittee on vaccine allocation followed the guidance of the federal government, recommending that people over the age of 65, as well as those over the age of 16 who have certain health conditions, be included in phase 1B. This decision should be approved by the Governor’s Advisory Group on Vaccines.
How to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine in Connecticut
For all people aged 75 and over, information on scheduling a vaccination is now available on the state’s COVID vaccine website.
People over the age of 75 can make appointments. Everyone else in phase 1b should not call or try to schedule another meeting.
Through a provider: People over the age of 75 can program through a provider prepared for the public distribution of the vaccine to eligible residents.
The state says more than 100 healthcare providers across the country offer COVID vaccines. All locations require pre-scheduling and registration – no access will be allowed.
- UConn Health: Farmington Clinic locations
- UConn Health Launches New COVID-19 Vaccine Programming Line at 860-679-5589.
- Hartford Healthcare: several locations across the country
- Hartford Healthcare said people can book appointments at Hartford HealthCare vaccine clinics in Wethersfield; Norwich; Shelton; and Hartford. More sites will be added.
- A hotline is set up where people can ask questions about MyChart: 860-972-4993 or email: [email protected]
- Walgreens Locations: A small number of retail locations will have the vaccine offered.
- Yale New Haven Health vaccination of people over the age of 75 will begin on Wednesday, January 20th.
- Appointments will take place on first come, first served basis. To make an appointment, visit www.ynhhs.org/covidvaccine.
- These public YNHHS vaccination sites will begin opening next week: North Haven, New London, Old Saybrook and Trumbull. A site in Greenwich will start the week of January 25th.
- More sites will be added as they are approved.
- Trinity Health in New England is scheduling vaccination schedules for people 75 and older at four vaccination clinics.
- Patients can schedule an appointment through the VAMS system or their primary care provider Trinity Health.
- Patients will soon be able to schedule through MyCare.
- More information is available at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/appointment
Online: People over the age of 75 who have an e-mail address and the ability to schedule an online appointment can schedule through the Online Vaccine Management System (VAMS).
Family members can also send information online to loved ones.
Many providers can be accessed through the VAMS planning system, including:
- Trinity Health in New England (hospitals and other locations)
- Griffin Hospital
- Nuvance Health
- Stamford Hospital
- Bristol Hospital
- Local health departments
- Federally qualified health centers
By telephone: Those without internet access can call Connecticut COVID Vaccine Programming Helpline at 877-918-2224. The telephone system was created in partnership with the Department of Public Health and United Way of Connecticut and is specifically designed to provide assistance to eligible vaccine recipients who have access to limited technology or who have language, disability or other barriers to could prevent using existing self-planning options successfully. The line will take calls from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:30 and will offer a callback option when all contact specialists are busy serving other callers. The team will aim to return calls as soon as possible in order to answer on the same day, but should be ready to take a few days.
A vaccine is not expected to be widely available to the general public until late summer or fall 2021.
How to find out if you are eligible
Learn more about the phases and eligibility here.
What’s next
Periodically visit the state’s leading immunization portal for all the latest updates.