Peninsula Health District distributes COVID-19 vaccines

Peninsula Health District distributes COVID-19 vaccines

AS OF 1/22/2021 THE PENINSULA HEALTH DISTRICT’S CURRENT PHASE: 1B

The Hampton/Peninsula Health Districts are currently vaccinating members of Phase 1a-health care workers, phase 1b 65+, essential workers, 16-64 with healthcare conditions, and people living in congregate settings. Please understand current vaccine demand far exceeds current vaccine supply. Once you have registered, you will be contacted by phone or email to schedule your appointment. It may be at least 4-5 weeks before you are scheduled. We encourage you to check with your primary care physician and/or your pharmacist to see if they can vaccinate you more quickly.

2nd Dose Appointments: Individuals who received their first dose vaccine 1/13-present will receive an email with a link to schedule their second dose. Please note, due to second dose allotments, we cannot send the 2nd dose link more than 1-2 days in advance. We are striving to schedule your 2nd dose on the 28 day mark, but we cannot guarantee that your 2nd dose vaccine will fall on 28 days. For anyone who needs to reschedule their 2nd dose appointments, you will be placed on a priority waitlist. You need to provide your name, email, and phone number to be placed on the waitlist.

The Statewide Pre-Registration System for the COVID-19 vaccine is live!  Please visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to pre-register for a FREE COVID-19 vaccine.

All individuals who have previously filled out a survey or form or signed up for a waitlist to be vaccinated through their local health district will be automatically imported into the new statewide system. Individuals will maintain their current status in the queue, and will be able to search that they are in the new system.

Across the Peninsula, your local health district is working hard to distribute the COVID-19 vaccines in an equitable and timely fashion. If you have questions about the safety, efficacy, or timing of the vaccines, please contact the health district in which you work. Whether you work in Newport News, Williamsburg, James City County, Poquoson, or York County, we can connect you to the resources you need to make an informed decision about vaccination.

Get the facts about the vaccine: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/

Virginia COVID Information Center

1-877-VAX-IN-VA • 8am-8pm
1-877-829-4682

 

PHASE PROGRESSION: 

You can monitor the Districts’ progress through the phases by clicking this link (The Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts are currently in Phase 1b):

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/phase-by-health-district/

You can identify your category by clicking this link:

https://vdh.jebbit.com/amkwk6m1?L=Owned+Web&JC=Vaccine

 

We are vaccinating Phase 1a:

  • Hospitals
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Non-hospital healthcare workers

 

We are now vaccinating Phase 1b:

FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Frontline essential workers are workers who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society, are at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and cannot work remotely:

  1. Police, Fire, Hazmat

  2. Corrections and homeless shelter workers

  3. Childcare/K-12 Teachers/Staff

  4. Food & Agriculture

  5. Manufacturing

  6. Grocery store workers

  7. Public transit workers

  8. Mail carriers (USPS and private)

  9. Officials needed to maintain continuity of
    government

 

PEOPLE AGE 75 AND OLDER

The risk for severe illness with COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that a person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. The goal of vaccinating this population is to decrease the burden of disease and death caused by COVID-19. Many of the people who are included in Phase 1b because of their age will be offered the vaccine through their healthcare provider. Others in this category will be able to access vaccination through their local health department or through arrangements with healthcare systems and pharmacies.

 

DISTRIBUTION PRIORITY PHASES

We are following the order of subgroups within each phase for planning purposes and will reach out to engage the subgroups in that order. However, overlap of subgroups will be considered if it will result in getting people within that phase vaccinated more quickly and efficiently. At the state level, VDH will determine when it’s okay for a district to move to the next phase. 

As availability of the vaccine increases, Virginia will move to the other phases. An exact timeline is not yet known. Phase 1b includes frontline essential workers, people age 65 and older, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps. The complete definition of Phase 1b and Phase 1c are available on the VDH Vaccine Page at www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/

Virginians who do not fall into priority categories will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine when it is more widely available. Once the vaccine is rolled out to the general public, distribution will be similar to the flu vaccine. People will be able to get the vaccine from a local pharmacy, primary care physician, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)/free clinic, local health department or other clinic that is participating as a COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider.

The public will be able to see who is eligible and what phase Virginia is in at any given time at www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/. Visit VDH’s FAQs (www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-faq/) to  stay up to date on this information.

In the meantime, it is important to remain vigilant in COVID-19 prevention practices. Continue taking steps to protect yourself and others, such as covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least six feet away from others.

REGISTRATION

The Statewide Pre-Registration System for the COVID-19 vaccine is live!  Please visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to pre-register for a FREE COVID-19 vaccine.

All individuals who have previously filled out a survey or form or signed up for a waitlist to be vaccinated through their local health district will be automatically imported into the new statewide system. Individuals will maintain their current status in the queue, and will be able to search that they are in the new system.

SCHEDULING FOR THE VACCINE

Once you have been registered, it may take at least 4-6 weeks to hear anything regarding scheduling for your vaccine. We will then send you an email with a link to schedule your appointment. For those without emails, we have paper-based clinics where scheduling is done via phone.

 

FAQ

    1. If you are in phase 1b, are you no longer prioritizing phase 1a healthcare providers?
      1. We are still actively vaccinating phase 1a healthcare providers. We are also vaccinating our 65+ population and some other phase 1b, as required by the state of Virginia.
    2. I am a phase 1a and I have not yet been vaccinated. What’s the deal?
      1. First, make sure you are registered. Calling or emailing us to be vaccinated does not mean you are vaccinated. You MUST register at this form here: vaccinate.virginia.gov
      2. You will receive an email confirmation.
      3. We are sending appointment links to schedule in the order in which we receive your registration. Vaccine demand currently exceeds vaccine supply.
    3. I am a phase 1b and I have not yet been vaccinated. What’s the deal?
      1. First, make sure you are registered: vaccinate.virginia.gov. Our priority population is 65+, but we are also scheduling some other phase 1b- in the order in which you registered. Vaccine demand currently exceeds vaccine supply.
    4. What if I haven’t heard anything in a month? Have you forgotten about my vaccine?
      1. The answer is “vaccine demand currently exceeds vaccine supply.” This is a very limited vaccine that will take months to distribute fully to our entire population. However, you can go to vaccinate.virginia.gov  and check the status of your registration.
    5. What if I received my first dose somewhere else, but want to get my second dose at the health department?
      1. If you received your first dose at another location (e.g. Harris Teeter, out of state, your pharmacy, etc.), you MUST receive your second dose through them. For every first dose, a second dose is allotted through the state.
    6. What if I received my first dose at the health department, but haven’t heard anything about second dose scheduling?
      1. Individuals who received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at PHD from 1/4-1/15 will return exactly 28 days from their 1st dose, at their same appointment time. They will get a call 1-2 days prior to their second dose appointment. Individuals who received their first dose vaccine 1/18-present will receive an email with a link to schedule their second dose. Please note, due to second dose allotments, we cannot send the 2nd dose link more than a couple days in advance. The link will be for exactly 28 days from your 1st dose, but you will select the appointment time. Anyone who reschedules their 2nd dose appointments will be placed on a waitlist.
    7. Why aren’t you doing mass vaccination clinics like x state?
      1. If we were allotted the vaccine to do a mass vaccination clinic, we would love to!
    8. Why is Riverside and Sentara vaccinating their patients but not x?
      1. Please take up that question with your local hospital, health system, etc.

 

 

 

We will update this page as more specific distribution timeline information becomes available.