HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Roughly 277,000 Connecticut residents who are 75 years and older were allowed Thursday to begin making appointments online or via telephone for their COVID-19 vaccinations, with plans in the works to soon phase in people 65 and older and anyone 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions that put them of greater risk of contracting the disease.
Phase 1B, the second phase of Connecticut vaccination program, is scheduled to officially begin on Monday.
The vaccine will be prioritized for those 75 and older. But as Connecticut's supply of vaccines increases and a significant number of people 75 and older are vaccinated, the other groups will be allowed to begin making appointments.
Officials plan to focus especially on communities hard hit by the pandemic, including racial minorities.
Ultimately, an estimated 1.3 million residents will be part of Phase 1B. Gov. Ned Lamont urged people to be patient and to watch the state's COVID website for updates.
"We know many people are excited to receive the vaccine and the promise of the future that comes with it, but we are limited in our ability to distribute them purely based on the amount we receive from the federal government," the Democrat said in a statement. "We are hopeful we will see increased allocations in the coming weeks and months, which will lead to even more light at the end of the tunnel."
Lamont's announcement comes shortly after an advisory group recommended this week expanding Phase 1B, which was expected to include those who are 75 years and older, approximately 325,000 frontline essential workers and an estimated 50,000 individuals who either live or work at congregate settings, including prisons.
Meanwhile, many residents have already been contacted or will be contacted by their healthcare providers to schedule appointments if that provider is participating in Connecticut's vaccine program. Not all providers are participating and people are urged not to contact their doctors directly for vaccine appointments.
So far, more than 160,000 people in Connecticut have received the vaccine during phase 1A, which began Dec. 14 and includes mostly healthcare personnel, residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and medical first responders.
