VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach is nearly done with Phase 1B vaccinations and expects to move into Phase 1C by the middle of next month.
At this point, everyone over the age of 65 in Virginia Beach should have gotten an invite to make an appointment to get vaccinated. If an individual hasn't, they need to e-mail VaccinateVB@vdh.virginia.gov.
The Nurse Manager Senior at the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, Laurie Shaw, says they are getting ready to move onto the next phase.
“We are pretty close to the end of 1B," Shaw said. "That is our goal, to be like mid-April to be into that 1C group.”
Next up to get the shot: people between 16 and 64 who have at-risk health conditions.
That group should get vaccine appointment invitations by the end of next week. Vaccinations for Phase 1C will begin next month and they should move quickly.
“The 1C group is smaller than the 1B," Shaw said. “For the 1C, with it being a smaller group, we should be able to move through that in four weeks' time. It all depends upon how quickly people come.”
Then vaccines will be open to everyone else.
President Joe Biden and Governor Ralph Northam set a goal: everyone who wants a shot will have access to one by May.
Shaw said her team can reach that goal.
“I can’t guarantee you’ll get it [but] you will have access to it," she said. "That is exactly how the president has been saying, by May, everybody will have access to the vaccine. That means you’ve got scheduling.”
Shaw said a good chunk of the Virginia Beach population is already vaccinated.
“Around 15 to 17 percent of our community," she said. "We need more than that, we need 75 percent of our community to reach that herd immunity.”
Shaw continued: “We just have to keep on drilling the message because this is far from over. We have a long ways to go yet. But we’ll get there.”