Our vaccination efforts are now in full swing. During the week of January 11, Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District’s (RCAHD) closed vaccine clinics were full of frontline healthcare workers in Phase 1a, and, working with our Medical Reserve Corps partners, we were able to begin vaccinations of first responders, teachers, and corrections organizations in Phase 1b. Next week, we will be able to offer several thousand vaccines more widely to our PreK-12 public and private school staff. This is just the start of reaching the tens of thousands who qualify in Phase 1b while we continue to reach our healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.
Thus far, demand for vaccine has far outstripped supply. We are currently in Phase 1a and Phase 1b. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Governor Northam expanded those groups last week. We are now able to prioritize our residents who are aged 65 and up, our medically vulnerable residents, and frontline essential workers. Within the group of essential workers, a total of nine priority groups have been identified for Phase 1b. The size of this targeted population is estimated to be tens of thousands in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Health Districts. The reality is that despite working as quickly and safely as possible, it will take us months to offer a vaccine to all who are eligible and would like to be vaccinated because we do not yet have vaccine supply to support these changes. As Governor Northam said, this is a major logistical effort that takes planning and time as we adjust to the changing criteria.
We are working hard to get vaccine into arms as safely, quickly, and efficiently as we can. In addition to holding our own vaccine clinics, we are building our partnerships with local hospitals, independent healthcare organizations, and pharmacy providers to expand access to vaccine throughout the district. But again, it is important to recognize that currently, vaccination opportunities are limited by the supply of vaccine coming into our community. We will continue to promote those opportunities on our website, Facebook, and through the media. Depending on a person’s healthcare provider and pharmacy, some of our older community members have been presented with opportunities and more opportunities will be announced this week.
It is also important for our community to understand that our health department clinics are very carefully monitoring vaccine supply to ensure that not a single dose is wasted.
If you are curious to see where you fall in the prioritization phases, you can use a pre-registration tool on our website to learn under which phase you qualify: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/
We know that it is difficult to wait, and we greatly appreciate your patience and flexibility as we embark on this monumental and critical task of bringing COVID-19 vaccine to our community. And while we wait, please remember the 3 Ws: Wear a mask, Wash your hands, and Watch your distance.
