Virginia Department of Health releases prioritization order for second phase of vaccinations

UPDATE: JAN. 8, 2021, 6:10 P.M. – In a Friday statement, the Virginia Department of Health has announced that all parts of the state are expected to enter Phase 1B of COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of January, and 11 health districts in Virginia – not including Henrico – will begin the phase Jan. 11.

Those districts primarily are in Northern Virginia. They include: Alexandria, Arlington, Cumberland Plateau, Fairfax, Lenowisco, Lord Fairfax, Loudoun, Mount Rogers, New River, Prince William and Roanoke/Alleghany.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: JAN. 8, 2021, 11:15 A.M. – The Virginia Department of Health has released the order in which it will offer vaccinations to people in the second phase of COVID-19 vaccinations statewide.

Those eligible in Phase 1B include frontline essential workers, anyone 75 or older and anyone who lives in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps (places where the virus otherwise could spread quickly). Officials have not established an official timeline for the second phase but have indicated that it could start in February.

Gov. Ralph Northam Wednesday indicated in a press conference that he considered Virginia’s 285,000 educators to be its "largest group of essential workers," but they will be third in line among frontline workers for the next wave of vaccines, according to the new VDH guidelines.

The VDH guidance suggests that there will be some overlap among the groups included in the second phase, something Northam and other state officials also mentioned Wednesday. Localities will have some flexibility to vaccinate larger groups within each phase if it means getting more shots into arms quickly, he said.

The VDH has prioritized frontline workers in this order:
• 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.

Local health departments, pharmacies, healthcare systems, and employer-based occupational health units are working collaboratively to vaccinate frontline essential workers, according to the VDH.

Frontline essential workers in most cases are expected to receive the vaccine through employer-based vaccination clinics. Others will get it through their local health department or through arrangements with pharmacies and healthcare providers.

Information will be provided by local health departments, employers, and healthcare providers about how and when those workers can receive their vaccines, according to the VDH.

People 75 and older will be offered the vaccine through their healthcare providers (if applicable) or will be able to request vaccinations through their local health departments or through arrangements with healthcare systems and pharmacies.

Phase 1C order also set

The VDH also has established an order for the third phase of vaccinations. It prioritizes people 65 to 74 years old; people 16 to 64 with health conditions or disabilities that increase their risk of severe issues from COVID; and the following employees, in order:

• energy;
• waste removal workers (includes waste and recycling removal, waste and wastewater workers);
• housing construction;
• food service;
• transportation and logistics;
• institutions of higher education faculty/staff;
• finance;
• information technology and communication;
• media;
• legal services;
• public safety (engineers);
• other public health workers.

No timeframe for Phase 1C vaccinations has been established.