Dear Moore Center Community,
My goodness, do we have a lot to share with you about vaccines! We know how overwhelming all this vaccine information can feel, but we want to make sure you have the information you need.
Great News! On Friday, January 22, the State of New Hampshire will begin accepting vaccination appointments for individuals within Phase 1B, which includes:
- New Hampshire residents 65 and over
- New Hampshire residents who are medically vulnerable at significant risk – including family caregivers for those under 16
- New Hampshire residents with developmental disabilities that receive services in a congregate residential setting, as well as staff in those settings
- Corrections officers and staff
- Populations that experience health disparities
Those eligible for Phase 1B vaccination can begin the process of scheduling an appointment on Friday, January 22 at 8 AM. Scheduling an appointment online at vaccines.nh.gov is the fastest, most efficient way to do so and is highly encouraged. Vaccinations for Phase 1B will begin on January 26.
If you are 65+, plan to schedule your appointment on Friday! You will need to provide a state or federal ID at the vaccination site. The online registration is the quickest and easiest way to register. For those unable to schedule an appointment online, the 211 Hotline remains available. An extremely high call volume is anticipated. Wait times may be long, but every call will be answered by a live person.
If you are not 65+ but you qualify for 1B due to medical reasons, please be patient. We are learning that health care providers are not yet in a position to qualify patients, but that they will be an important piece of the process. Health care providers will reach out to patients when they are ready to qualify their patients. In the meantime, we are actively working with our Department of Public Health partners to set up a closed site for our clients to access vaccinations. This is an evolving process and we will continue to keep you informed every step of the way!
Even though limited supply of vaccines from the federal government means appointments may be booked weeks out, everyone in Phase 1B who wants an appointment will get an appointment. If allocation should increase, appointments will be rescheduled to earlier dates and times.
What does medically vulnerable mean?
List of Underlying Medical Conditions (adapted from CDC): Phase 1b: Two or more conditions Phase 3a: One or more conditions
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and other high-risk pulmonary disease
- Down Syndrome
- Heart Conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised states
- Obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m or higher)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Note: DPHS allows a health care provider to vaccinate any patient assessed to have significant risk for severe illness due to co-morbidities, even if not listed here. This list does not include every condition that might increase one’s risk for developing severe illness from COVID-19, such as those for which evidence may be limited (e.g., rare conditions or combinations of conditions).
Every NH resident (including staff and individuals receiving services) can find out their eligibility by utilizing the screening questions here: https://www.vaccines.nh.gov or calling 211 with specific questions.
Here are some resources that may be helpful to you:
NH DHHS Covid 19 Information: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/
NH Vaccination FAQ’s in multiple languages (please be patient, some of these take a bit of time to load):
Kinyarwanda: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/documents/vaccination-planning-faq-kin.pdf
Vietnamese, Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese translations are also found at https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/vaccination-planning.htm
Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19. It will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic, like wearing a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others.
We encourage everyone who is eligible in Phase 1A and 1B to register for and receive both doses of the vaccine. Together, we can protect ourselves and each other and get back to the normal life we have been missing!
Be Well,
Paul
Paul S. Boynton
President and CEO