VDH Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Priorities
On December 4,
VDH announced the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccine priorities. Virginia is expecting to receive 480,000 doses of vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna (pending FDA emergency use authorization) by the end of December. This initial distribution will ensure health care personnel (HCP) and long term care facility (LCTF) residents receive a first dose of the vaccine. VDH estimates that there are up to 500,000 HCP and LTCF residents in Virginia. Of that number, VDH estimates LTC residents and staff total 158,000.
As was widely reported last week, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that long term care residents and staff be included at the highest level of priority for the first distributions of the vaccine. It is up to each state to formalize its plan for the actual distribution.
VHCA-VCAL has been engaged in numerous state and public health leaders over the past week advocating that as much of the initial allocation as possible be directed to nursing and assisted living residents and their caregivers because it will protect those individuals who have been impacted the most by the pandemic. We have made this point directly to Gov. Ralph Northam, Secretary of Health Dan Carey, and others at VDH leading the vaccine distribution planning. We are thankful that the Commonwealth continues to prioritize addressing the impact of the pandemic on long term care and has expressed commitment to allocating the vaccine to LTCF—both for HCP and residents.
The VDH announcement makes note of the fact that most LTCFs in Virginia will receive vaccinations from CVS/Omnicare and Walgreens through the CDC Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Program. We will relay additional details to you as they become available.
