Who is eligible for a vaccine
Update for March 29, 2021:
Dates for vaccine eligibility by age band were recently released and are pictured above.
Currently, Vermonters age 50+ are able to register online for vaccination with the Vermont Department of Health system on their website or by calling the Vermont Department of Health at 855-722-7878.
Also, people age 16 or older with high-risk health conditions are able to register for vaccination. Those who fall into this category can make an appointment anywhere except Walgreens. See information below on high-risk health conditions.
Vaccination is also open to school staff and childcare workers, people who work in the public safety system and healthcare personnel.
For more details about who is eligible, visit the Vermont Department of Health website.
High Risk Health Conditions
The State has clarified (see excerpt from their website below), individuals with chronic conditions will be done by personal attestation and no physician’s note or documentation will be required. (The State will do verification audits through an auditing process within the VITL, Vermont’s health information exchange.) Similarly, we are not aware of a requirement for documentation relating to prior vaccinations or reactions. Individuals who do want documentation of their conditions or vaccination history for their own purposes should speak to NMC’s Health Information Management Department at 802 524 1060.
Please stay tuned to the Vermont Department of Health announcements as well as local media and NMC’s social media for more information as it becomes available.
THE HIGH-RISK HEALTH CONDITIONS INCLUDED IN PHASE 5 (as per VHD website, 3.3.21):
- Current cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis
- Heart disease, including heart attack, heart failure, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease (angina, acute and chronic ischemic heart disease), cardiomyopathies, and pulmonary hypertension. Does NOT include high blood pressure.
- Immunocompromised (weakened immune system), due to solid organ transplant, blood, or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, or other causes; or HIV with a low CD4 cell count or not on HIV treatment; prolonged use of corticosteroids or other immune suppressing drugs.
- Severe obesity (BMI of 40 or above)
- Pregnancy
- Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
- Disabilities including chromosomal disorders, such as Down syndrome; intellectual disabilities (IQ of 70 or below); disabilities that compromise lung function (neurologic and muscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and multiple sclerosis).
- Sickle cell disease
OVERVIEW OF PROCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH-RISK HEALTH CONDITIONS (as per VHD website, 3.3.21)
You do not need to contact your health care provider to get documentation of the condition.
You will make an appointment in our system in the same way as Vermonters who have been eligible by age.
You will be asked some questions. First, you will say that you have one of the health conditions that makes you eligible for a vaccine. This will serve as a self-certification. We trust you to work with us and help make sure that these Vermonters at highest risk due to a medical condition are protected.
When making your appointment, you will also be asked to provide information for a health care provider you see for the condition, if you have one. But if you don’t have a health care provider, you can still get a vaccine.
The Health Department may use the information you provided to confirm your eligibility, either through medical records or by contacting your provider. We may also reach out to people who don’t have a provider to offer a connection to care.
Source: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont#conditions
Registering for a vaccination appointment
People age 50 and older can now make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine through the Vermont Department of Health and local pharmacies. Appointments are required, and clinics won’t be able to accept walk-ins.
You can register online for a vaccination appointment at a local clinic operated by the Vermont Department of Health, Northwestern Medical Center, N.O.T.C.H., Costco and Walmart. Click the button below to register online, or make an appointment by phone by calling: 855-722-7878. You will be able to choose your appointment location once you register.
Locally, clinics are being offered:
- By NMC at the new Congress and Main Building in in downtown St. Albans
- By the Vermont Department of Health at Collins Perley Sports Complex in St. Albans
- By N.O.T.C.H. in various towns in Franklin County
You can also register online for a COVID-19 vaccine through Kinney Drugs, CVS or Walgreens pharmacies. Vaccinations will be offered at Kinney’s Vermont locations including St. Albans, Milton, Cambridge, etc.
Can't make an appointment online? You can make an appointment by phone: 855-722-7878
If you need to speak with someone in a language other than English, call the number above, and then press 1.
Call Center Hours:
If you need to speak with someone in a language other than English, call the number above, and then press 1.
Call Center Hours:
- Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
You'll be asked to give:
Insurance is not required, and there is no cost for getting the vaccine.
You will also be asked some medical questions about whether you:
- name
- date of birth
- address
- email address, if you have one
- phone number
- primary insurance information
Insurance is not required, and there is no cost for getting the vaccine.
You will also be asked some medical questions about whether you:
- have any history of an allergic reaction to vaccines or injectable therapies
- are currently sick with COVID-19
- have recently had any other vaccines
- have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinners
- are pregnant
- are breastfeeding or lactating
Information about NMC’s Vaccine Clinic
- NMC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is on the third floor of the new Congress and Main building in Downtown St. Albans. This building is located just across the street from City Hall, on the corner of Congress Street and Main Street.
- Parking is available in front of the building as well as behind the building. The spaces behind the building are more easily accessible as the back entrance is at grade and very easy to navigate. Access this parking on Congress Street.
- It is important to arrive on time, but not early. Social distancing requirements mean that early arrivals may need to wait outside, so plan to arrive just at the time of your appointment.
- If you need to cancel or reschedule, please call the Vermont Department of Health at 855-722-7878.
It’s important to get vaccinated for Covid-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) are two key resources for factual information about COVID-19 and the vaccines available to protect you from COVID-19. Both organizations have thorough websites with the latest information about the virus, the pandemic and the vaccination process.
Here we have compiled information from these state and federal resources that answer the most common questions we hear at NMC.
What you should know about the Covid-19 vaccine
Yes. People who get the vaccine should continue taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The vaccine protects you from illness, but there is not enough information currently available on whether you could still transmit the virus to someone else after vaccination.
Getting the vaccine and continuing to take preventive actions—including following the guidelines on mask-wearing, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, hand washing, etc.—are the best ways to keep from getting and spreading COVID-19.
Getting the vaccine and continuing to take preventive actions—including following the guidelines on mask-wearing, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, hand washing, etc.—are the best ways to keep from getting and spreading COVID-19.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, years of vaccines research have brought us to where we are today. Researchers began working on vaccines for earlier versions of the coronavirus starting with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. When these viruses disappeared, interest in finding a coronavirus vaccine decreased. Lessons learned from this earlier vaccine research have been used to inform strategies for developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Now the global focus on eliminating this new coronavirus and ending the pandemic, combined with funding, has helped speed up the research process to create a safe and effective vaccine.
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine have received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Learn more about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness on the VDH website here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine have received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Learn more about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness on the VDH website here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont
At NMC, we want to make sure you have the information you need about COVID-19 and your health. It is important to check that the information you see is credible and accurate. The CDC offers some advice for how to identify a credible source: Finding Credible Vaccine Information.
Here are additional credible sources of vaccine information:
Here are additional credible sources of vaccine information:
Yes. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, a vaccine should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had a COVID-19 infection. CDC is providing recommendations to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first. Learn more about the different types of vaccines and how they work on the CDC website.
The CDC’s site also has information on the following questions:
The CDC’s site also has information on the following questions:
- Will a COVID-19 vaccination protect me from getting sick with COVID-19?
- After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, will I test positive for COVID-19 on a viral test?
- Can a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19?
- Will a COVID-19 vaccine alter my DNA?
We’re open and safe.
Ready for you today, so you can enjoy your tomorrow.
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