Jorge Cabrera

Sen. Cabrera Encourages Residents to Take Advantage of Live COVID-19 Vaccination Access Registration for Residents 75 Years or Older

HARTFORD, CT – Today, as the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts progress to Phase 1b, Connecticut residents who are 75 years of age or older can now schedule appointments to get vaccinated as the state’s COVID-19 vaccination web portal is live. State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) said this presents an important opportunity for residents to protect themselves against COVID-19.

“I applaud Governor Lamont and all those involved with moving this important, life-saving work forward,” said Sen. Cabrera. “We’ve all discussed, among family and friends, how we long to get back to normal. This development moves us a step closer to normalcy. I encourage everyone with a loved one 75 years of age or older to take advantage of this opportunity and schedule these appointments, make sure your loved ones are vaccinated. To those 75 years or older, talk to your friends and make sure they get vaccinated, too. To all, please continue to wash your hands, practice social distancing and wear a mask over your mouth and nose when in public.”

In the coming weeks, Phase 1b will include residents 65 years of age or older and residents between the ages of 16 and 64 with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of the virus, in addition to residents and staff of congregate settings and frontline essential workers. Due to limited supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine, it will take a few weeks to provide the vaccine for everyone who is eligible for this next phase. Individuals must make an appointment in order to receive a vaccine, requiring the online platform signup.

Family members and loved ones can submit an application into the state Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) for residents 75 years of age or older by visiting portal.ct.gov/coronavirus, or by calling the Connecticut COVID Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224, Monday through Friday 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Individuals with email addresses and the ability to schedule online appointments are asked to apply through the website. Family members can also submit information online for their loved ones.

Scheduling appointments may take time due to strong demand for the vaccine, officials said, but the state is increasing its effort to enroll providers and staff. The state expects access to appointments will grow rapidly in coming weeks, especially for priority populations. All information submitted through VAMS or the assist line will be kept private and will only be used to schedule vaccinations. The link also contains a detailed and extensive list of frequently asked questions about the vaccine, helping to ease any concerns members of the public may have.

More than 100 health care providers across the state are offering the COVID-19 vaccine, including UConn Health and Hartford Healthcare, with more locations coming soon. A map of all locations will be made available in coming weeks. Expanded access to the COVID-19 vaccine is increasingly important, especially in high-risk groups, to reduce the severe impacts the virus has had on the state. While just 13,695 of the state’s more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections were among people 80 and over, and less than 27,000 of them were among people 70 and over, more than 5,200 of Connecticut’s 6,536 total COVID-19 deaths as of January 13, nearly 80 percent, were among individuals in those age groups.