Nearly 200,000 Granite Staters have signed up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but that didn’t mean people got actual vaccination times and dates. The sign up was a two-step process that required residents to respond to an email from the Centers for Disease Control to fully register to get a shot.
The number of sign ups represented about two-thirds of the people eligible to receive a vaccine during phase 1b, however some people are receiving vaccination dates as late as April.
If they state starts receiving more vaccines each week appointment slots will be moved up, state officials said.
“All eligible individuals within Phase 1B are guaranteed to be scheduled for an appointment time,” said Perry Plummer, who is coordinating the state’s vaccine rollout. “While appointments are currently being made into March and April, we urge folks to take the earliest appointment slot available and to remain patient.”
The portal is still open for people in phase 1b to register to apply for a vaccine appointment. Below are commonly asked questions about the registration process and vaccination logistics.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered below, tune into a live Q&A with Michael McLeod, the associate chief clinical officer at Concord Hospital, at noon on Thursday, Jan. 28 on the Concord Monitor’s Facebook page. If you can’t make it, send your questions to Monitor heath reporter Teddy Rosenbluth at trosenbluth@cmonitor.com.
I completed the registration form, now what?
After you register on the website, you will receive an email from no-reply@mail.vams.cdc.gov within 48 hours (check your spam and junk folders). The email will guide you through series of medical questions and will prompt you to select a date, time and location for your appointment.
About 80% of the people who have signed up to get vaccinated have successfully received a time slot for the shot, state officials said Monday.
When will I actually get my shot?
Appointment slots begin on Jan. 26. and will continue for several weeks. If you sign up to receive your shot at one of the state’s sites, your time slot will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on how many appointments there are at the location you selected.
Doses are doled out to vaccination sites based on a number of factors like how many the site is fit to administer, how equitable the distribution is and how geographically accessible the vaccines are. At first, the state’s fixed sites will have the bulk of the doses because they are easily opened.
Residents age 65 and older and other qualifying individuals should register to be vaccinated at one of the state’s fixed site clinics by visiting vaccines.nh.gov or by calling 2-1-1. The Department of Health is requesting that people avoid calling the hotline unless it is an emergency or you do not have access to the internet.
This process will change around Feb. 4, when the state plans on transitioning from a federal registration system to a state registration system.
There are different processes for those with medical conditions, according to a health alert message issued.
Providers who plan to vaccinate their own patients will register and schedule eligible patients and report data to the state’s immunization information system. Those that do not have access to the vaccine or plan to refer patients to fixed sites will enter patient information into the state’s vaccine management system, which will generate an email invitation to the patient to schedule an appointment. For providers who don’t have access to the system or for patients that do not have email, the provider will pass along information to the state about eligible patients, and the state will call them to schedule appointments.
Where will vaccinations take place?
There are currently 13 fixed sites that will be open for vaccinations in the coming weeks. These sites are in: Concord, Tamworth, Nashua, Hooksett, Exeter, Londonderry, Dover, Littleton, Lebanon, Laconia, Plymouth, Keene and Claremont. These sites will vaccinate people in their cars, minimizing the risk of COVID-19 spreading between residents.
Other state-run sites may open if New Hampshire receives more doses of the vaccine. Hospitals and other providers may open their own vaccination clinics.
What do I bring to the appointment?
If you qualify for the vaccine because you are older than 65, you should bring proof of your age (ex. a driver’s license, birth certificate). You should also bring proof that you are a citizen of New Hampshire. If you don’t have a N.H driver’s license, you can bring a utility bill with your name on it.
How will I know when to get my second dose?
Both of the available COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, require a second shot about a month after the first. According to the Department of Health, you will receive an email from no-reply@mail.vams.cdc.gov after receiving your first vaccination dose to schedule your second appointment.
You will also receive a vaccination record card that documents your first dose. You should bring this card with you to your second vaccination appointment.
Residents age 65 and older, residents and staff of facilities for people with developmental disabilities, corrections officers, health care workers not previously vaccinated and those with two or more medical conditions, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, high-risk pulmonary disease, hear conditions, poor immune system, obesity, pregnancy and diabetes, among others.
How many doses of the vaccine does New Hampshire have?
There are an estimated 325,000 people in phase 1b, about three times the amount in the first phase of front line workers. As of Jan. 21, the state had only 2,685 doses allocated for this phase— less than 1% of the amount required to fully vaccinate the group. The state receives an estimated 17,000 doses a week, though many hope that these numbers will increase as vaccine production ramps up.
How much does the COVID-19 vaccine cost?
For most people the vaccine is free. Some insurance companies may charge an administrative fee, but that is rare.
If I don’t qualify for the vaccine in this phase, how long will it be before I get the shot?
A long time. Based on current estimations, it will be at least March until the next group (K-12 staff and childcare providers) is able to sign up for appointments. If you’re younger than 50 and have no preexisting health conditions, you may have to wait until summer. This may change depending on how many doses are allocated by the federal government.
New Hampshire’s vaccination plan is as follows:
Throughout February: Phase 1A (about 110,000 people) – high-risk health workers; first responders; residents of long-term care facilities.
Jan. 22 through March: Phase 1B (about 300,000 people) – People who are 65 and over; the medically vulnerable at significant risk, including caregivers for those under 16 at risk; staff and residents of facilities for the disabled; corrections officers and staff.
March through May: Phase 2A (about 100,000 people) – Staff and teachers at K-12 schools and childcare facilities.
March through May: Phase 2B (about 200,000 people) – People aged 50 to 64.
May and beyond: Phase 3A (about 325,000 people) – The medically vulnerable at moderate r isk under 50 years old.
May and beyond: Phase 3B (about 325,000 people) – Everybody not already vaccinated.