ACCOMAC, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health’s Eastern Shore Health District (ESHD) announced that as of Wednesday, they expanded the COVID-19 vaccination to include those who are in phase 1b.
“We have nearly completed the first round of phase 1a vaccinations. We will now be focusing on phase 1b, prioritizing those at highest risk for negative health outcomes and members of our community with the highest risk of exposure,” said Chief Operating Officer Jon Richardson, of the Eastern Shore Health District.
Phase 1b includes:
- Police, Fire, and Hazmat
- Corrections and homeless shelter workers
- Childcare/K-12 Teachers/Staff
- Food and Agriculture (including Veterinarians)
- Manufacturing
- Grocery store workers
- Public transit workers
- Mail carriers (USPS and private)
- Officials needed to maintain continuity of government
The move is in partnership with Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Inc. (ESRHS) and Riverside Medical Group (Riverside). ESRHS appointments began Wednesday, January 13, and Riverside on Thursday, January, 14.
For most phase 1b recipients, the vaccination will be made available through clinics where they work or live.
Those who are 75 and older can contact their primary care provider to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine. ESRHS says they will provide the vaccine to those 75 and older without a primary care provider.
Additionally, ESHD says over the next several weeks, staff will be contacting small independent businesses to set up appointments for anyone in phase 1b who is not affiliated with a clinic at work or where they live.
“For many weeks now, ESHD has been collaborating with our partners at Riverside and ESRHS to deliver vaccines to the Eastern Shore community. That work will continue as we strive to get vaccines administered as quickly and safely as possible. We anticipate it will take several weeks to work our way through vaccinating Phase1b individuals while simultaneously administering the second dose to 1a individuals,” ESHD staff said in a statement released Wednesday.
“That work will continue as we strive to get vaccines administered as quickly and safely as possible. We anticipate it will take several weeks to work our way through vaccinating Phase1b individuals while simultaneously administering the second dose to 1a individuals.”
