With the recent announcement of an overhauled (and potentially faster) vaccine plan from the Lamont administration, there are some new questions about how to sign up and when registration will be possible based on eligibility dates.

The following are the revised vaccine scheduling and distribution guidelines:

  • March 1, 2021:  People age 55-64 become eligible to schedule an appointment and receive the vaccine.
  • March 22, 2021:  People age 45-54 become eligible to schedule an appointment and receive the vaccine.
  • April 12, 2021:  People age 35-44 become eligible to schedule an appointment and receive the vaccine.
  • May 3, 2021:  People age 16-34 become eligible to schedule an appointment and receive the vaccine.

First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice devoted much of Tuesday evening’s COVID update email answering questions from residents about the governor’s new schedule and providing details about the new process.

Woven into her answers were reminders that the schedule based on age groups is one that town and state officials want to strictly follow. Vanderslice seemed to imply that some people have been trying to skirt the boundaries and jump the line–something she strongly discouraged.

She wrote:

  • Your eligibility date is the DATE YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
  • Information on HOW TO LOCATE A PROVIDER, INCLUDING LINKS, is on the Town’s Coronavirus Resources webpage.
  • You CAN’T PRE-REGISTER in VAMS.
  • The NEW SCHEDULE REPLACES THE PREVIOUSLY RELEASED PHASE 1B, PHASE 1C AND PHASE 2 schedules.
  • DO NOT EXPECT TO FIND AN AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT ON YOUR ELIGIBILITY DATE. It may be 2 TO 3 WEEKS BETWEEN WHEN YOU ARE ELIGIBLE AND AN APPOINTMENT IS AVAILABLE.
  • During March, LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICTS, including Wilton, will receive FIRST DOSE VACCINES INTENDED for SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, not for the general public. We are awaiting further details. Already scheduled second dose clinics for March will be held.
  • CONCIERGE APPOINTMENT BOOKING SERVICES ARE LIMITED to RESIDENTS 75 AND UP.
  • The vaccine schedule is BASED ON AN INCREASE IN DOSES BEING SENT TO CT AND THE APPROVAL AND AVAILABILITY OF THE J&J VACCINE.
  • The TOWN’S VACCINE WAITLIST IS FOR ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS. REQUESTS BY THOSE NOT ELIGIBLE ARE DISCARDED.

Vanderslice added, “Please be patient and please wait your turn before attempting to schedule.”

It was the second day in a row the First Selectwoman needed to reiterate the need for residents to play fair.

On Monday she wrote, “As of March 1st, residents aged 55 and up may request to be added to the Town’s waitlist for future town-sponsored vaccine clinics. The waitlist is currently open to residents 65 and up. Requests by residents under the age of 65 are not processed. If you are under 65 and you submitted a request, you will need to resubmit when you become eligible. Please do not repeatedly submit requests when you are not eligible. Doing so, may result in you being permanently ineligible.”

Case Numbers

On Tuesday CT Department of Public Health reported 23 additional cases for Wilton. Vanderslice said she is hoping that 17 of these cases are actually delayed reporting and not a current uptick.

Similarly, the state saw a slight rise in its positivity rate, adding 1,357 new cases for a 3.92% positivity rate. There was also a slight increase of 11 new hospitalized patients.