As about 600,000 others can start registering for COVID vaccine on Monday, state officials are asking for patience, but remain optimistic that all eligible people will have an appointment in the next three weeks.
From Monday, people aged 55 to 64, along with teachers, school staff and day care professionals, will be eligible to receive the vaccine, but consultations will not be available immediately to everyone.
Josh Geballe, chief of operations for Governor Ned Lamont, said that given the increase in vaccine supplies in Connecticut, the state believes that the majority will be vaccinated in the coming weeks.
“We hope that many of the newly eligible people will rush out (Monday) to make an appointment. … People must be prepared to be patient, but they know they will have their turn in the next few weeks, ”said Geballe on Sunday.
For those newly eligible on Monday, state officials are asking them to wait a few days to make appointments and ensure that those most in need can be vaccinated.
The next stages of the launch occur as Connecticut continues to receive encouraging news about the vaccine supply. State officials said about 100,000 first doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be shipped to Connecticut this week along with 40,000 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine – 10,000 more than anticipated.
Unlike Moderna and Pfizer, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a dose, which means that some people will finish the inoculation process faster.
The state trusts the new vaccine, which experts say has shown clear success in preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19. The state has instructed providers to designate which vaccine will be provided during the application process.
“We encourage everyone to get the first vaccine available to them,” said Geballe.
Lamont last week announced a change in the state’s vaccine distribution strategy, prioritizing people by age group rather than focusing on essential workers and those with high-risk medical conditions. The move, his government argued, will simplify a complicated process and speed up distribution.
The state estimates that the new groups that will be eligible on Monday comprise about 610,000 people in total, not counting those that were vaccinated in the early stages of implantation.
Despite the eligibility of the new groups, state officials said those 65 and older can and will be vaccinated in the coming weeks. Last week, state data showed that about 75% of people aged 75 and over were vaccinated and about half of those aged 65 to 74 received the vaccine.
Predicting the run of people who will be eligible starting on Monday, the state’s telephone hotline is doubling its staff to 300.
“We anticipate that our online scheduling systems and the Vaccine Consultation Helpline will be flooded (Monday) and in the coming days with people eager to make their vaccination appointments. It is a good problem and we have increased our ability to cope better with the expected volume increase, but it will still require people to be patient when they sign up, ”said the Deptre Gifford Department of Public Health acting commissioner. “To ease the burden on online and telephone systems, we ask residents 55 and older to consider waiting a few days before making an appointment, if they can do so.”
Residents who prefer to make an appointment over the phone can call 877-918-2224.
Geballe said that despite the increase in staff, people can expect signs of busy on Monday, but reiterated that they will be attended soon.
Although eligibility officially opens at midnight, the state has asked providers to update their sites by 7 am Monday.
Some vaccination sites require residents to prove they are eligible. RVNA Health in Ridgefield has a notice on its website instructing people aged 55 and over to bring documentation, such as an identity document, with their date of birth. Those eligible through their work must bring a paycheck, employee ID card, letter or other documentation, the notice said.
Although school staff and teachers are eligible as of Monday, state officials are asking them to wait for vaccine clinics to be scheduled in schools and local health departments.
Most of them are likely to open at the end of the month, according to a DPH memo.
“Individual school districts are working with their cities and local health departments / districts to develop a plan for their teachers, school staff and childcare workers. So the vaccination plan will look different from city to city and district to district, ”said Maura Fitzgerald, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health.
She said the agency will make sure that each local health department, or other provider selected by the school and local authorities, “has enough vaccine stock to offer clinics throughout the month of March.”
Geballe said the state has asked these clinics to maintain an updated list of eligible people in the area, if extra doses are available.
The way in which local health departments will deal with the distribution of the vaccine varies by community, said Geballe. While some may focus only on teachers, school staff and childcare professionals, some will continue to vaccinate the general population as well.
The departments are in coordination with the state, which will ensure that a provider is available if the local health department focuses on educators.
“They are all coordinating closely with the state while this is happening so that we don’t lose any momentum in the overall vaccine program for people 55 and older,” said Geballe.