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On January 27, Governor Northam announced that Virginia will immediately be receiving 16% more doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the U.S. Government to help the Commonwealth ramp up vaccine rollout.
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On January 27, VDH instructed local health districts to allocate approximately 50% of available vaccine doses to frontline essential workers, people aged 16-64 years with a high-risk medical condition or disability as defined by the CDC, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and migrant labor camps. The other 50% of available vaccines should go to adults aged 65 years or older.
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Because demand for vaccines still far exceeds supply, vaccines will be allocated to localities in Virginia based on population. This allocation is described in more detail in the January 25 Health Commissioner's Letter to clinicians.
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Because of the limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, it is critical for vaccine providers to administer all available vaccine doses AND report doses administered to the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS).
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Reporting race and ethnicity into VIIS is critical for helping us understand and address gaps in vaccination coverage to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine.
Helpful Tip: If you are a provider who will vaccinate Medicaid patients, you must enroll in Medicaid. Complete the Online Web Registration Form. Once you submit your application, please email providerenrollment@dmas.virginia.gov and let them know that you are enrolling as part of the VDH COVID-19 vaccine administration process. Please include your National Provider Identifier (NPI), Provider Name, and Application Tracking Number in the email. This is an expedited process that takes just one day. If you have questions about the Virginia Medicaid provider enrollment process, please call the Provider Enrollment Services Helpline at 888-829-5373.
Best Practice Spotlight
Plan to provide the EUA COVID-19 manufacturer vaccine fact sheet prior to administering the vaccine. Verify the recipient receives the fact sheet and has time to read information and ask questions. After administering the vaccine, provide the recipient with a dose card (provided in ancillary kits) and information to enroll in the vSafe and VaxText programs.
Upcoming Events
February 2, 7-8 pm: Facts not Fear: COVID-19 Expert Panel for the Behavioral & Mental Health Community
Additional upcoming events
Additional upcoming events can be found here.
Helpful Resources
- For the most up-to-date information about VDH’s COVID-19 Vaccination Response, regularly visit the webpage here.
- Visit CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination homepage for clinical resources for each COVID-19 vaccine. A list of new updates for all CDC guidance related to COVID-19 is listed at this site.
- On January 21, the White House released its National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness that provides a roadmap to shape ongoing efforts in combating the COVID-19 crisis.
- A fact sheet summarizing executive actions designed to provide economic relief for families and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis has also been released.
Information about the COVID-19 vaccination program is changing frequently. This newsletter will offer regular updates to providers who have submitted an intent to vaccinate or signed the CDC provider agreement within Virginia.
VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Response: Healthcare Professionals Website