Virginia Department of Health vdh.virginia.gov
January 22, 2021 Edition
- Our COVID-19 supply remains extremely limited. We expect to continue to receive approximately 100-110k first doses/week until late February/early March, intended for first doses only. As vaccine becomes more available and as there is more information about the ordering process, you will receive the information.
- There is a separate and distinct allocation process for second doses. Second doses are generally automatically assigned to sites who received first doses 3-4 weeks prior.
- The Federal Government has recently provided clear direction to Governors, in writing, to expand Phase 1b populations to additional groups (i.e. 65+ and 16-64 with an underlying medical condition). In response, Governor Northam has aligned Virginia’s 1b group with the HHS guidance.
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Remember, districts in Virginia are in Phases 1a or 1b of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out:
- Phase 1a includes health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities.
- Phase 1b includes frontline essential workers, people aged 65 years and older, people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps, and people aged 16 through 64 years with a high risk medical condition or disability that increases their risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
- Phase 1c has not yet begun but will include other essential workers.
- For more information, or to see which phase your county or city is in, visit the VDH website here.
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Given the limited supply of vaccine and taking all constraints into consideration, we are now prioritizing allocations based on the following:
- A provider's ability to administer all vaccine AND report doses to VIIS.
- The state's and the district's vaccination strategies to reach targeted populations effectively and efficiently (prioritizing mass vaccination events, closed PODs for vulnerable populations, etc.).
- The per capita distribution to date in the district.
- We have an online eligibility tool that gathers contact information from individuals who are interested in receiving a vaccine. We are working on a website that will allow individuals to locate clinic sites in their area AND register for clinic spots (via PrepMod). When it is ready in a couple of weeks, we will share it with you.
Best Practice Spotlight
Familiarize yourself with the importance and considerations involving storage and handling of the different vaccines. You can start preparing
today by reviewing the CDC
Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit.
Upcoming Events
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January 26, 3-4:15pm: Increasing Vaccination Coverage Among Racial and Ethnic Groups: Lessons Learned from CDC’s REACH Program. Register Here.
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February 2, 7-8pm: 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
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination homepage. Updates to CDC guidance can be found at this site.
- Visit the manufacturer websites ( Pfizer-BioNTechand Moderna) for the latest information and short training videos.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Redistribution Process and FAQ Document
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
VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Response: Healthcare Professionals Website