LENOWISCO AND CUMBERLAND PLATEAU BEGIN VACCINATING FRONT LINE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AGAINST COVID-19

December 23, 2020

Media Contact: Robert Parker, public information officer, robert.parker@vdh.virginia.gov

LENOWISCO AND CUMBERLAND PLATEAU BEGIN VACCINATING FRONT LINE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AGAINST COVID-19

(LEBANON, Va.) – The LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau Health Districts began conducting closed “point of dispensing” (POD) COVID-19 vaccination clinics today specifically for “Phase 1a” priority groups. These are the first who are eligible to receive the vaccine, and include health system personnel with direct contact or a high risk of contact with COVID-positive patients. Phase 1a includes emergency medical services, front-facing staff in primary care medical offices, dentists’ offices and others who provide direct health services in various settings.

Additional PODs for Phase 1a are scheduled on Dec. 26 and Dec. 28 through 31. These PODs are specifically for Phase 1a; COVID-19 vaccine is not available to the general public and these are not public events.

Phase 1a also includes long-term care residents and staff that are being vaccinated through a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreen’s.

“We are pleased to provide a safe and effective vaccine to health workers in our community,” said Eleanor Sue Cantrell, M.D., director of the LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau Health Districts.” It’s important to remember that while vaccination will ultimately be the most important mitigating step in addressing the pandemic, we are not there yet. It will be months before vaccine is widely available publicly, so it is extremely important that we all continue practice the things that we know work to reduce risk. Wear a face covering, don’t gather in groups outside your household members, stay six feet away from people that do not live in your house, indoors and out, and wash your hands thoroughly and often.”

Vaccination planning teams are reaching out to health care providers in the two health districts. Phase 1a health care providers who wish to receive the vaccine or have questions should contact Michael Whiteaker (michael.whiteaker@vdh.virginia.gov) for Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the City of Norton. Or contact Delilah McFadden (delilah.mcfadden@vdh.virginia.gov) for Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell or Tazewell counties.

Vaccine supplies are allocated monthly, and priority groups are designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. VDH works to identify and vaccinate everyone who wishes to receive the vaccine, in order of the priority groups.

For more information on COVID-19 and vaccine, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine and www.cdc.gov.

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