January 22, 2021
Media Contact: Robert Parker, public information officer, Western Region, robert.parker@vdh.virginia.gov
PITTSYLVANIA/DANVILLE HEALTH DISTRICT AND CITY OF DANVILLE LAUNCH ONLINE PRE-REGISTRATION PORTAL FOR COVID VACCINE
(Danville, Va.) – The Virginia Department of Health’s Pittsylvania/Danville Health District, with the support of the City of Danville Information Technology Department, today announced an online portal for those who wish to pre-register to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
The portal DOES NOT RESERVE A VACCINE OR CREATE AN APPOINTMENT but it does collect contact information, so that when vaccine is available, VDH can contact you to make an appointment.
The portal is available at http://www.danvilleva.gov/PittDanSignup.
Friends and family members may also pre-register for those with limited or no computer resources. ONLINE PRE-REGISTRATION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Phone systems have been, and likely will continue to be, completely overwhelmed, so please pre-register online if at all possible.
Vaccine demand is extraordinarily high and supplies are significantly limited. Those who provide their contact information may not receive a return call or email for days or weeks, and may not get a vaccine appointment for weeks or even months.
Health Director Dr. Scott Spillmann stressed the importance of using the portal. “We all are being overwhelmed with phone calls,” said Dr. Spillmann. “It is critical that as many residents as possible use the online portal. If you are not computer savvy, please ask a friend, a relative, or a neighbor to help you. The purpose of the portal is to get contact information for those ready and willing to get their vaccine, so that when a new clinic is open, we can quickly notify them to make an appointment. It will be a two-step process.”
ONCE YOU ARE PRE-REGISTERED, PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR EMAIL TO CHECK YOUR STATUS. Please be patient. You will be contacted as soon as possible to schedule an appointment. Please do not pre-register multiple times or leave multiple messages. Doing so will delay or prevent others from getting a vaccine.
VDH and its partner agencies are vaccinating Virginians in Phases 1a and 1b, defined in detail at www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine, addressing multiple categories within each phase, simultaneously, according to priorities set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and VDH. This is the largest vaccine campaign in more than 100 years and the most ambitious vaccination campaign in our country’s history. It is expected to take months to complete Phases 1a and 1b.
City Manager Ken Larking recognized the City of Danville’s Information Technology Department, whose staff worked hard to ensure that the portal was quick and easy to understand for most citizens. “I am pleased that we are able to partner with our local Department of Health to create this portal for our citizens to get prescreened for upcoming vaccination clinics,” Larking said.
“I am happy that many of our citizens are eager to get their vaccine,” said Mayor Alonzo Jones. “Your City Council and I are receiving many calls from people wanting to know how to get their shot. I am thrilled that we will be able give citizens a way to get the process started so that we can all get protected from COVID-19 and start returning to normal.”
“Meanwhile, precautions remain important in our fight against this pandemic,” concluded Dr. Spillmann. “Please continue to practice the three Ws: Wear your mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance.”
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