Vaccination program for homebound Vermonters begins |
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Human Services Secretary Mike Smith, announced at Tuesday’s press conference that
vaccinations for homebound Vermonters will begin immediately.
Vaccinations will be administered through a partnership between local Home Health and EMS agencies. Agencies covering Caledonia, Franklin, Orange, Windsor, and Windham Counties received vaccines today. Distribution is anticipated to expand next week, Smith said.
The first group of designated recipients includes Vermonters age 75 and older who are both homebound and in the service of the local Home Health Agencies (including both VNA agencies and Bayada). Vaccinating agencies will contact them to arrange the vaccination visit. Please do not contact the home health agencies, Smith said.
“We recognize that there are homebound community members who do not receive home health services that will need to be vaccinated,” Smith said.
Once the roughly 2,000 Vermonters connected with home health services have been reached, the service will be expanded to include others in need. Numerous partners, including primary care, Agencies on Aging, and municipalities are currently discussing how best to identify the additional individuals and to create the second phase of outreach.
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Vaccination Update
More than 57,000 people have now been vaccinated in Vermont, including 22,800 who have received both doses, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard.
The Health Department is reminding people that you must have an appointment to be vaccinated. Clinics are NOT open to walk-ins, and people should not show up at clinics looking for “extra doses.” Vaccine to be used is carefully managed, so please do not call the Health Department and ask to be put on a list to be told of extras – there is no such list.
People who are 75 and up can now schedule an appointment to get vaccinated.
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Enjoy the Super Bowl, but skip the gatherings
While the Super Bowl might seem like a more minor event than some of our recent holidays, “it has potential to truly damage the recent progress we’ve made — if we don’t celebrate safely,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said Tuesday.
if you’re watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, stick to your own household. Gathering with anyone you don’t live with increases the chances of spreading of COVID-19, especially if you’re indoors, close together, and eating or drinking without masks, Dr. Levine said.
The CDC has shared some tips, like hosting a virtual watch party or starting a group text for game commentary. You can make your own special game-day apps and snacks with people you live with, or order take-out food — and support your local restaurants.
“Luckily the Super Bowl is a TV event, so we can still root for our favorite team, debate which commercials are the best, and enjoy the halftime show all from the comfort our own homes — safely,” Dr. Levine said. “Remember, it was Halloween gatherings and parties that really drove our first big uptick in cases, a mere 3 months ago, and it hasn’t slowed down significantly yet. So consider following my and Dr. Fauci’s Super Bowl Sunday advice and just lay low — at least this time around.”
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Protect yourself and others by getting tested |
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If you want to get tested for COVID-19 and have no symptoms, you can visit a location near you. There are now more than 15 regular locations throughout the state, and more of them are now open daily. Many sites now allow you to take a sample yourself, using a short swab in your nose. It’s quick, easy and free.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your health care provider so they can refer you for testing. If you don’t have a provider, you can call 2-1-1.
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Take care of your emotional and mental health |
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If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs emotional support, help is available 24/7:
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Have you gotten the COVID-19 vaccine?
Share your news with others!
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Encouraging others to get the COVID-19 vaccine means moving towards a healthier Vermont. If you're planning to get the shot, share your vaccine photo on social media captioned with your reason why.
Be sure to include the hashtag #OurShotVT.
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Additional resources about vaccines and more
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Find information sheets, posters and toolkits on our Resources web page, in addition to translated materials.
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Find answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard: healthvermont.gov/covid19-vaccine-data.
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Get Vermont-specific information in our Frequently Asked Questions. New questions added this week include:
- I have recovered from COVID-19, but I am sick with a new illness and symptoms. When can I return to work, school or child care?
- How soon after being exposed to someone with COVID-19, or after attending a gathering, should I be tested?
- Can I get on a list to receive extra or leftover vaccine doses?
- What happens if a vaccine clinic is canceled due to weather
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One of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 is by getting tested as soon as you start to feel sick. Learn more about the average amount of time between symptom onset and when the Health Department receives a person’s test result — so that public health response can begin — in the latest Weekly Data Summary Spotlight.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 29% of Vermont’s long-term care facilities (LTCF) have had at least one case of COVID-19. Outbreaks have been experienced by 17% of our long-term care facilities. These outbreaks are defined as a situation where two or more residents or staff members with COVID-19 have known connections to each other in the facility setting.
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