While Vermont officials are encouraged by the amount of eligible people signing up to get vaccines, they’re urging residents to keep their guard up against the coronavirus after cases ticked up in the state and the Northeast in the last week.
“We’re still in a delicate time where the virus and its variants can and will take advantage of us if we let our guard down,” Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Tuesday during the governor’s twice-weekly virus briefing. He also urged younger populations, particularly those in their teens to age 40, to protect themselves against COVID-19 because of so-called long haul symptoms.
Cases of the virus are now highest in these age groups and there’s more to learn about long-haul COVID-19 or post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, in which symptoms surface months after the illness, even if it was mild, and to understand how many people are at risk, he said during the governor’s twice-weekly virus briefing.
“Those symptoms don’t seem to go away with many possible manifestations, from chronic fatigue, to shortness of breath, the exercise intolerance, to brain fog or memory loss,” Levine said. “I don’t want anyone to risk developing this, to have your lives hindered by what is starting to become an avoidable virus.”
All Vermonters, from age 16 and up, will be eligible to sign up for the vaccine by April 19, Gov. Phil Scott has said. The state is returning to distributing the vaccine by age groups, with 60 and older eligible to sign up for appointments on Thursday, followed by registration opening to Vermonters aged 50 and older on Monday. That will be followed up 40 and older eligible to start signing up on April 5, 30 and older on April 12, and 16 and up on April 19.
It will take approximately two months to get a vaccine and be considered fully vaccinated, said Human Services Secretary Mike Smith.
“The goal is to have all Vermonters fully vaccinated by July 1,” he said.
As of Tuesday, one in three Vermonters had received at least one dose, he said.
“We are one step closer to ending this pandemic and we’re encouraged by the high percentage of Vermonters in each eligible age group that have made an appointment to receive a vaccine,” he said.
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