Submitted Article —
Beginning today, Monday, April 5, the Virginia Department of Health’s Eastern Shore Health District (ESHD), in partnership with Eastern Shore Rural Health System Inc. (ESRHS) and Riverside Medical Group (Riverside), has opened COVID-19 vaccines to the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia population.
“We have vaccinated the vast majority of our Phase 1 population who have expressed interest in getting the vaccine. We are excited to be able to open vaccine eligibility to our entire Shore community” said Chief Operating Officer Jon Richardson, of the Eastern Shore Health District.
For many weeks now, ESHD has been collaborating with partners at Riverside and ESRHS to deliver vaccines to the Eastern Shore community. That work will continue to get vaccines administered as quickly and safely as possible. ESHD asks the public to understand it does not get to “choose” which vaccine is sent to the Shore. All are effective and the best one is the one that is available.
If you are in Phase 2 (general population) and wish to receive a vaccine, please contact your primary care provider. For those not having a primary care provider, Eastern Shore Rural Health will provide a vaccine. Please contact them directly to schedule an appointment. For those eligible under Phase 1 who wish to receive a vaccine, please contact the Health Department at 757-787-5880 to set up an appointment.
Receiving the vaccine for COVID-19 does not mean life goes back to pre-pandemic times, but each vaccination gets us closer. It is still important to wear a mask, social distance, and practice good hand hygiene. Even after receiving the vaccine, it will remain important to continue masking, maintaining social distancing, and avoiding crowded areas when in public spaces or when you are around others who have not been vaccinated. Remember, it takes two weeks after the last vaccination for the vaccine to become fully effective.
ESHD sincerely appreciates the community’s patience as it has worked to vaccinate those most susceptible to a negative health outcome and at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 and asks for continued patience as vaccine eligibility is made open to all. Every available resource is being devoted to this effort and vaccine supply remains limited.
For more information about Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/.
