Vaccine open to all adults April 18
Northam expands eligibility for Virginians over the age of 16 to get vaccinated for COVID-19
Everyone in Virginia 16 and older will be eligible to get a COVID19 vaccine starting April 18, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday morning.
Northam said nearly every Virginian in the highest risk groups who has pre-registered for an appointment to get a shot has received one, and those still on the pre-registration list will have appointment invitations within the next two weeks.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel — and that light is getting brighter every day as more and more Virginians get vaccinated,” the Democratic governor said in a prepared statement. “Expanding vaccine eligibility to all adults marks an important
milestone in our ongoing efforts to put this pandemic behind us, and I thank all of the public health staff, health care workers, vaccinators, and volunteers who have helped make this possible.”
More than 3.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in the state, and more than one in three adults have received at least one dose. One of five Virginians is fully vaccinated.
But the state’s handling of the vaccine rollout has drawn criticism from some residents and Republican officials, who point to Virginians driving to North Carolina or other states to get shots because they can’t find one here.
Northam’s office said Virginia has taken longer than other states to open eligibility to the general public because it’s following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to prioritize those at the highest risk and because “Virginia is a large and diverse state with many essential workers, many out-of-state commuters, and a high percentage of the
“Virginia is a large and diverse state with many essential workers, many out-of-state commuters, and a high percentage of the population that wants to be vaccinated.”
population that wants to be vaccinated.”
To make injections accessible to people in underserved communities, the state has carried out initiatives such as sharing information in multiple languages and community outreach to drive pre-registration and scheduling.
The state has also set up vaccination centers in areas with vulnerable populations.
These efforts, Northam said, will continue when eligibility opens to the general public.
Most of the state’s local health districts — 21 of 35 — have started vaccinating essential workers in Phase 1c after providing appointments to everyone eligible in Phases 1a or 1b who had pre-registered. Beginning April 4, districts that have invited all registered people through Phase 1c can invite members of the general public — also known as “Phase 2.”
Based on the supply projected by the federal government, all local health districts are expected to do that by April 18. Those at highest risk will continue to receive priority in the scheduling process.
Officials encouraged everyone who lives or works in Virginia to pre-register so they can be notified when an appointment is available.
To do that, you can visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Callers can get help in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages. Video conferencing in American Sign Language is also available at vaccinate. virginia. gov.