Governor Lamont announces Connecticut residents over 75 can now register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments as state moves to phase 1b

Press Releases

01/14/2021

Governor Lamont announces Connecticut residents over 75 can now register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments as state moves to phase 1b

1.3 million residents are eligible to receive the vaccine during phase 1b, as 46,000 first doses are expected to be administered weekly by the federal government

Governor Lamont accepts advisory group recommendations to extend phase 1b to more populations

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Phase 1b of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Connecticut will begin on Monday, January 18, 2021 and that state residents over the age of 75 can now make an appointment to receive the vaccine.

In addition, Governor Lamont announced that he accepts the recommendations of the Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group Allocation Subcommittee to expand Phase 1b to include additional population groups. In the coming weeks, Phase 1b will expand to include:

• Residents aged 65 to 74 (approximately 353,000 people); and
• Residents aged 16 to 64 who have underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of contracting the virus (approximately 362,000 people).

This is in addition to those already in phase 1b, in particular:

• Residents aged 75 and over (approximately 277,000 people);
• Residents and staff of the gathering places (approximately 50,000 people); and
• Essential front-line workers (around 325,000 people).

In order to ensure the most vulnerable populations in phase 1b are prioritized, Governor Lamont asked the Connecticut Department of Public Health to begin the phase by prioritizing the vaccine for people over 75 years of age in the first phase. wave. As supply increases and a significant portion of people over 75 have received the vaccine, phase 1b will open to include more eligible populations with a focus on addressing equity issues and the risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19.

An estimated 1.3 million Connecticut residents are eligible for phase 1b. Currently, the state plans to receive approximately 46,000 first doses of the vaccine per week from the federal government.

All eligible residents must make an appointment prior to receiving the vaccine. Starting today, people over 75 can book appointments using the following tools:

• Health provider: Many residents have already been or will be contacted to schedule an appointment by their health care provider if their provider is participating in the state’s immunization program. Not all providers administer the vaccine. A list of participating suppliers is available on ct.gov/covidvaccine. Residents are asked not to contact their doctor or health care provider directly for appointments for the COVID vaccine.

• Online: A form is available online at the address ct.gov/covidvaccine which allows individuals to schedule an appointment through the online Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS).

• Phone: Those without internet access can call the Connecticut COVID vaccine appointment helpline in 877-918-2224. The telephone system was created in partnership with the Department of Public Health and United Way of Connecticut and is specifically intended to provide support to eligible vaccine recipients who have limited access to technology, or who have language barriers, disabilities or otherwise. that might prevent them from successfully using existing self-planning options. The line will take calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will offer a callback option when all contact specialists are busy serving other callers. The team will endeavor to return calls as quickly as possible, with the aim of responding the same day.

Further details on phase 1b eligibility will be forthcoming and will include advice for employers, employees, self-employed workers and others on when and how to schedule appointments for vaccines and locations where vaccines will be available.

Providers can complete appointments with other eligible phase 1b populations if places are available.

“The Connecticut Department of Public Health has worked diligently with our healthcare partners across the state to improve access to the vaccine, but I must continue to be patient at this point,” Governor Lamont said. “We know that many people are thrilled to receive the vaccine and the promise of the future that comes with it, but we are limited in our ability to distribute them only on the basis of how much we receive from the federal government. We hope to see an increase in allocations in the weeks and months to come, which will bring even more light at the end of the tunnel. “

“Thousands of Connecticut residents have already received their first round of vaccines and second-dose injections began last week,” Connecticut Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr Deidre Gifford said. “With the start of Phase 1b, we are bringing additional capacity to deliver the vaccine to tens of thousands of other Connecticut residents, protecting our seniors, our workforce, and the most vulnerable among us. Vaccinating millions of Connecticut citizens will take time, and I urge patience and continued vigilance, including wearing face masks, social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings. Our state’s approach has been balanced, allowing for flexibility around who gets vaccinated, while ensuring that many of our vulnerable residents are on the front lines during this phase.

Lisa Tepper Bates, president and CEO of United Way of Connecticut, said, “Our team is pleased to partner with Governor Lamont and the Department of Public Health to provide this support to ensure access to immunization for all Connecticut residents, including those, due to language barriers , technological or handicap, cannot self-program via other channels. . “

To date, more than 160,000 people in Connecticut have received the vaccine during phase 1a, which began on December 14 and includes population groups such as healthcare workers, residents, and nursing home staff. nurses and assisted living facilities, and medical first responders.

Connecticut ranks fifth nationally for the percentage of the population vaccinated so far.

For the most recent information on COVID-19 vaccination distribution plans in Connecticut, visit ct.gov/covidvaccine.

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