Vt. vaccination sign-ups begin Monday for Phase 2
The Kedron Brook in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Starting Monday, Vermonters age 75 and older can sign up online or by phone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The state will unveil a registration website on Monday morning, and the plan is to start vaccinations on Wednesday at sites around the state. There will be 54 vaccine sites in 39 towns, officials confirmed. Appointments are required and can only be made through the state. At the first appointment, another one will be scheduled for the second and final dose. A map showing vaccination site locations will soon be available on the health department's vaccine page, according to the state. No exact time was given for when registration would open.
The Scott administration spoke about the process on Friday during its first online-only press briefing. The event went virtual because Gov. Phil Scott and members of his cabinet recently had a possible exposure to COVID-19 and were each in quarantine. All tested negative earlier this week and, as of Friday, were showing no symptoms. Late Friday, the state announced that Human Services Secretary Mike Smith and Public Safety Commissioner Mike Schirling had again tested negative for COVID-19, and therefore no longer had to quarantine.
At the briefing, Smith urged Vermonters to be patient during the vaccination sign-up process, as tens of thousands of people will be trying to register all at once early next week. Everyone will get an appointment slot, he emphasized.
"Please continue to be patient, and be kind to those working on this effort," Smith said. "They are putting in long days and long weeks, and some are even volunteers helping us manage this unprecedented global crisis."
Next week marks the beginning of Phase 2 in Vermont's vaccination rollout, which will be done by age groups. Phase 2 includes those age 65 and older, and this will be done in three parts. Monday's registration is only for those age 75 and older, followed by the 70+ and 65+ groups. The 75+ range includes about 49,000 Vermonters, and that group should be vaccinated after five weeks, officials project. In total, the state plans to have all 120,000 people from Phase 2 vaccinated by spring.
This development comes as the federal government is implementing a wide-ranging plan to address the pandemic, with the goal of getting 100 million Americans vaccinated in 100 days. On his first full day in office Thursday, President Joe Biden signed 10 executive orders, including establishing federal vaccination centers, a program to help pharmacies administer vaccines and a nationwide push to add more personnel who can administer vaccine shots. FEMA aims to set up 100 federal vaccination centers across the country in the next month.
When asked about the COVID-19 response so far under the Biden administration, Scott said the communication has been more clear and transparent from the White House. He noted chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci's statement yesterday that he's able to speak his mind more often than he was under the Trump administration.
But Scott also said the prior administration was a key partner at different points. When facing some early hurdles on COVID-19 testing, Scott said he and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu were able to call then-Vice President Mike Pence directly, and he helped alleviate the problem.
"We had contacts in the White House that were helpful to us, so we hope to establish relationships (in the new administration) as well, but I'd say the Biden administration is off to a very good start," Scott said.
— Gareth Henderson
