Covid 19

Important: Burlingtonians 75 and older can make vaccination appointments on Monday 

January 24, 2021 

Neighbors – The State has announced that Phase 2 of the vaccination plan is set to begin the week of Monday, January 25. It is very important that all older Burlingtonians and their families understand how this is going to work, and so I am laying out what we have learned in our conversations with State leadership as well as areas for continued discussion. 

Here is the most important thing for you to know: Burlingtonians 75 and older will be able to make an appointment to receive the Covid-19 vaccine starting some time on Monday morning. If you would like to get a notification from the City when the reservation system goes live (and for other time-sensitive alerts) please sign up here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/BTV-Alerts 

What to expect starting on Monday: 

  • First, these vaccines are FREE of charge and they are clinically proven to be safe and effective. 

  • Starting on Monday, all Vermonters 75 and older will be able to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine. 

  • All of the appointment times for the coming five weeks will be released at the same time. There will be enough appointments for everyone age 75 and older, although you may not receive your first-choice date or time. 

  • You can schedule an appointment by phone or online. You are encouraged to sign up via the online portal. If you have a parent, grandparent, or friend who isn’t used to using the web, please help them sign up. 

  • The State will issue information on Monday morning with the call center number, online portal, and time that both will open for registration. You can look for updates on the Department of Health website: http://healthvermont.gov/myvaccine

  • Please only make one appointment and please keep your appointment to prevent any doses from being wasted. 

What to expect in the weeks ahead: 

  • Getting everyone vaccinated will be a challenging process and it will take time. Currently, Vermont is only receiving 8,000 doses of the vaccine every week. There are about 50,000 Vermonters who are 75 and older – so at the current rate of supply, it will take several weeks to vaccinate all of those 75 and older who want the vaccine. 

  • Of course, this may change if the federal government is able to increase the supply of vaccine that is going to every state. 

  • The public can track the number of vaccines distributed here in Chittenden County on the City’s Covid-19 dashboard

Advocating for Burlington: 

The City has been in close communication with the State about the vaccination plan, and we are very appreciative of all of the work that the State is doing to get this right. Here are a few areas where we have been advocating for Burlington: 

  • Allocation: The State has assured me that vaccine distribution will be in proportion to the age of residents in an area. During early conversations I was concerned that, as sometimes happens in Vermont, the larger population of Burlington would not be accounted for in the State allocation planning, but the final plan calls for distribution of the vaccine based on target population size. About 21 percent of the state’s population that is 75 or older is in Chittenden County, and the county should expect a vaccine allocation to match that proportion. 

  • Transportation access and walkability: We want vaccines to be available for our residents who don’t own cars or who have jobs that make longer trips in the middle of the day unrealistic. While the local sites have yet to be announced, we’ve received assurance that there will be walkable sites one day each week starting next week in Burlington and the following week in Winooski. 

  • Access for BIPOC and limited English proficiency residents: The City is working with more than 20 community partners to ensure that all members of our community have the information that they need about this vaccine. However, this is an area where I still have some concern, particularly because all available appointment times will be released on a first-come, first-served basis. We know that throughout this pandemic, first-come, first-served initiatives have often been biased against BIPOC and limited English proficiency residents. We continue to be in contact with the State to explore how more can be done to ensure that elderly BIPOC members of the community, especially those who may be immigrants or refugees with limited English proficiency, are able to access the vaccine equitably over the coming weeks. 

The City stands ready to do everything we can to support the State’s vaccination effort, and we will be monitoring the progress, advocating for ALL of our residents, and looking for ways to help.  If you have any questions about or challenges accessing the vaccination system, the City will do what it can to help if you contact us at the Covid-19 Resource and Recovery Center (www.burlingtonvt.gov/resources; e-mail: recovery@burlingtonvt.gov; phone: 802-755-7239). 

Miro