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COVID-19 Vaccine Update
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Vaccine Information - February 2
This week we continue our efforts to vaccinate those in 1a and we began vaccinating some groups in phase 1b. Information about the COVID-19 vaccine is changing rapidly and we will keep you up-to-date with the information we have. Stay informed.
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Understanding our vaccine supply: There are over 300,000 peopleliving in our health district and approximately 150,000 who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Our estimated weekly allocation of vaccine to our area over the coming weeks will be approximately 3,400 COVID-19 vaccine doses - this includes the doses sent to our healthcare partners. We are working on an equitable plan to distribute this vaccine. Currently, the demand for vaccine in our health district greatly exceeds our supply. This comes as a result of a limited supply coming from the federal level to the Virginia Department of Health who then allocates to our health district. Since our supply is limited, we are focusing on vaccinating the following groups:
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- Phase 1a
- Police, fire, and hazmat
- Homeless shelters and corrections
- K-12 teachers and staff
- Ages 65+
- We are publishing our daily vaccine numbers on Facebook and on our website. These numbers only reflect COVID-19 vaccinations performed by the Central Shenandoah Health District and are not a reflection of total COVID-19 vaccines given within the health district and are approximate as of date received. For total COVID-19 vaccine distribution numbers, please visit the VDH COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. Below are the number of people vaccinated by the health department:
- Week of December 20th: 200
- Week of December 27th: 430
- Week of January 3rd: 570
- Week of January 10th: 1,220
- Week of January 17th: 2,450
- Week of January 25th: 4,170
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VDH COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassadors: VDH is kicking off a grassroots effort to build a network of volunteer Community Ambassadors, and they need your help to get this idea off the ground. to learn more, click here.
Actions to Take While You Wait
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If you are aged 65 and up and want to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine, please fill out this Request for Individual Vaccination Survey. Please note that by completing this survey, your name will be added to a waitlist to receive notification when a COVID-19 vaccine is available to you and provide you with information on how to register.
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If you are age 16-64 years old with certain conditions or disabilities that increase your risk of severe illness from COVID-19, please sign up for ourCOVID-19 Vaccine Update. We will use this update to notify you when we start to vaccinate this group. If you are unsure if you are eligible for Phase 1b under this category, please complete this VDH Eligibility Tool.
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If you are an employer or organization of essential workers in Phase 1a or Phase 1b, please fill out this Vaccine Clinic for Employers Survey.
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If you are a individual who is part of an essential worker organization included in Phase 1a or Phase 1b, please speak with your supervisor about being included in their roster for vaccination purposes.
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If you are an essential worker in private practice included in Phase 1a or Phase 1b, please fill out this Request for Individual Vaccination Survey.
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If you are none of the above or in Phase 1c and want to receive updates about the Central Shenandoah Health Districts vaccine distribution efforts, please sign up for our COVID-19 Vaccine Update. You can find information about who is included in Phase 1c here.
New Positive COVID-19 Test
Text Message Service
Virginia is making the process easier for people to be notified of positive COVID-19 test results — and anonymously share those results with others who may have been exposed. These texts, which are automatically triggered when VDH receives any positive COVID-19 lab result registered with a valid mobile phone number, will provide rapid notification and encourage anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to stay home and away from other people. The texts will come from 804-336-3915 and will only be sent between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The messaging, which is also available in Spanish, will then provide a link to the new COVIDWISE Verification Code Portal.
For more information, click here.
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Cases have been decreasing in our region (Northwest) for the last 9 days and cases are considered to be fluctuating. Our district continues to see an increased surge in COVID-19 activity, similar to what we are seeing statewide and nationwide. You can explore individual locality metrics here. To learn more about the VDH Pandemic Metrics, click here.
COVID-19 Variants
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) today, January 25, announced that the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 has been identified in a sample from an adult resident of Northern Virginia with no reported recent travel history. The B.1.1.7 variant, which first emerged in the United Kingdom in late 2020, is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.
It is crucial for everyone to continue to social distance, wear masks, and think about who is in your social bubble.
For more information about new COVID-19 variants, visit the CDC website linked here.
Prevention Reminders
The COVID-19 vaccine is here, but we still need to focus on flattening the curve.
Watch your distance | Wash your hands | Wear a mask
- All people in Virginia should stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing to reduce the risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
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Wear a face mask to protect yourself from COVID-19.
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Get your flu shot: it is not too late to get your flu shot to protect you from the seasonal influenza.
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Download COVIDWISE, Virginia’s free exposure notification app.
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Answer the call! If a Case Investigator or Contact Tracer calls you, you should answer the call. Talking to the health department is an important step in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
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Who is in your Social Bubble or Pod? As COVID-19 continues to spread in our community, it is important to think about who is in your social bubble and who might be in their bubble. Check out this new VDH document for more information.
How to Keep Informed
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Follow CSHD on Facebook. We will post important COVID-19 vaccine updated on our Facebook page.
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Bookmark the CSHD website. We also post updates on our website, including any press releases we issue.
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CSHD Office Hours
Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination efforts in our district? Join us for our twice weekly office hours!
*NEW* We are now offering Spanish language office hours!
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Dial 1-844-992-4726 and enter the access code 132 173 5589 when prompted. When asked for attendee ID, press #. To unmute yourself during the call press *6.
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