Vaccination strategy begins to shift in Henrico, Richmond

Now that Henrico has entered Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccination process, the strategy for vaccinations in the county (and in neighboring Richmond) is shifting slightly.

Officials from the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are closing one of two primary mass vaccination sites at the end of the month (the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond) and replacing it with four smaller regional sites in the two localities – one each in the region’s north, south, east and west sides, RHHD Nurse Manager Amy Popovich said during a press briefing Thursday.

The logic, Popovich said, is that because most people who have pre-registered for the vaccine either have received one or will soon, the next portion of the vaccination process will involve more deliberate and proactive efforts to reach people within their communities and encourage them to get a shot. Having smaller vaccination sites that are closer to them could help with that process, she said.

In an effort to be more proactive, the RHHD recently hired 10 new part-time outreach workers and eight new community health workers to assist in their door-to-door efforts to identify and schedule people for vaccines, Popovich said. It’s also continuing to work with about a dozen community partners (including churches) that are assisting with outreach in their individual communities and helping to register people that way.

And, it’s now opened its hotline (205-3501) to receive calls from and register for vaccination anyone who is eligible in Phases 1A, 1B or 1C but who had not yet pre-registered.

Combined, the efforts are part of RHHD’s plan to be “as creative and strategic as we can be, to be in communities making vaccines accessible,” Popovich said.

One of the new smaller vaccination sites will be the Islamic Center of Henrico & Masjid Al-Falah on Impala Drive in Lakeside. Others will include George Wythe High School in Richmond, the VCU Health Hub site in Church Hill; and an as-yet-unnamed location in Northside. The RHHD already is hosting a smaller vaccination site at St. James Baptist Church in Varina through the first few weeks of May, and the Richmond Raceway site also will serve residents who live in the eastern portions of the city and county, she said.

The agency also is hosting regular vaccination events at smaller locations, such as a weekly one in Henrico’s West End geared toward immigrants and refugees, at which entire families can come and be vaccinated together, Popovich said.

Next week, the RHHD will continue to allocate available doses in the same way it’s doing so this week, according to Popovich:

• 35% for people in Phase 2;
• 35% for those in Phase 1C;
• 15% for those in Phases 1A and 1B;
• 15% for seniors 65 and older.

The RHHD expects to receive about 10,000 total first doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – down from the 12,000 or so it has been receiving, but with good reason: because more doses now are being shipped directly to partner medical facilities and pharmacies.

In total, Virginia is expecting about 415,000 doses of vaccine next week and separately, partner facilities are expecting about 189,000 more, Popovich said.

“The good news is there’s a couple of different channels now to get vaccines,” she said.

She encouraged people to check http://www.vaccinefinder.org, a government-run site that currently includes a number of participating pharmacies but within a week also will begin to show local health district events, too – such as those hosted by the RHHD.

Walk-up vaccinations are not yet possible for the general population through the RHHD, and the districts had to cancel plans for walk-up sites for seniors because they were planning to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those, Popovich said. Use of that vaccine is on hold, as federal officials seek more information about six reported cases (among the nearly 7 million doses administered in the U.S.) of rare blood clots that developed in women between the ages of 18 and 48.

The RHHD is continuing to vaccinate homebound seniors and will switch to using the Pfizer vaccine for those (instead of J&J) in the immediate future, Popovich said. Homebound seniors or caregivers should call the district’s hotline at 205-3501 to schedule an appointment directly.