Va. has released the outlines for who's next in line for COVID-19 vaccines. Here's what they are

Va. has released the outlines for who's next in line for COVID-19 vaccines. Here's what they are



Sabrina Moreno
Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Virginia Department of Health released a more detailed outline on Wednesday of who will be eligible for vaccinations in the next two phases of the state’s efforts. The first round of vaccinations, which Virginia is currently in, prioritizes health care workers and long-term care residents and staff.

Here’s what the next two phases will look like:

Phase 1b: Front-line essential workers, people age 75-plus, people in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps

Front-line essential workers are defined in this instance as those at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure who can’t work remotely and are not health care personnel.

 

This is the order in which these workers will be reached out to:

Police, fire and hazmat

Corrections and homeless shelter workers

 

Child care, K-12 teachers and staff

Food and agriculture

Manufacturing

Grocery store

Public transit workers

USPS and private mail carriers

Essential workers, people age 75 and older and those in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps can access vaccinations through their local health departments, health care systems and pharmacies. This group is expected to start vaccinations by February.

 

Phase 1c: Other essential workers, people ages 65 to 74 and people over the age of 16 with a condition or disability that makes them high risk for COVID-19

Under this phase, essential industries are prioritized in the following order:

 

Energy

Water and wastewater

Housing construction

Food service

Transportation

Higher education faculty and staff

 

Finance

IT

Media

Legal services

Public safety engineers

Other public health workers

Officials needed to maintain continuity of government

These essential workers are expected to receive the vaccine through employer-based vaccination clinics, but others can receive them through local health care providers and pharmacies. Same goes for people ages 16 through 74 with high risk conditions or disabilities. More information is expected in the coming weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention frequently updates its list of medical conditions that qualify. These include cancer, chronic kidney disease, pregnancy, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

— Sabrina Moreno