Vaccine locations multiply as Vermont nears 80% goal
June 5, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti An Interstate 89 rest stop, a Burlington Jazz Fest venue, farmers markets, flea markets, state parks and more. Those are just some of the places this weekend where Vermonters still looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine can just show up to get their shot.
The Vermont Department of Health is pulling out all the stops to take vaccine doses where people will be out and about in addition to the usual spots like hospitals and the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds. They’re adding mobile home parks and racetracks to their list of vaccination locations. Health clubs are on the list and the Edge in Williston will throw in the first month of a new membership for free for those getting the vaccine there on Monday.
The list of walk-in vaccine clinics can be found online here.
The push comes as the state closes in on the goal of having 80 percent of eligible Vermonters over age 12 with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Friday, 76.8% of those eligible were vaccinated -- just over 436,000 Vermonters, according to the Health Department’s online Vaccine Dashboard.
Another 7,878 people needed to get a shot to reach the 80% goal. Gov. Phil Scott has said he will rescind all COVID-19-related mandates once the population reaches that target.
The new map tracks vaccine rates by county and town. Screenshot
To track vaccination levels, the Health Department this week added a new map to its COVID-19 vaccine website that breaks down vaccination levels by town across the state. It is similar to the COVID-19 cases map showing cases by town.
The new map comes with several disclaimers including a caution regarding using the data which may be skewed by how the map information is sorted. It states that:
Town data is based on place of residence for most people, but for some people, place of vaccination may have been used instead of place of residence.
Some people may have provided their mailing address instead of their place of residence. Since mailing address may be used to determine location, some town rates may be inaccurate. Some towns do not have their own zip code, and some residents of one town may have their mail delivered to another.
Some people who live in Vermont may have received a vaccination in another state and have not reported the vaccination to the Immunization Registry.
With those cautions in mind, the new map shows that Waterbury, Stowe and nearby Waitsfield in the highest vaccination category -- greater than 90%. Moretown and Warren both are listed in the 71-80% range; Middlesex is at 61-70%. Figures for vaccination levels in Duxbury, Bolton and Fayston are very low, likely due to the fact that those communities share zip codes with other adjacent towns. As with tracking COVID-19 cases for those places, data is sparse as it likely is combined with nearby communities.
Looking at recent COVID-19 cases, new case reporting has dropped markedly in the past few weeks across the state with most days recently well under 50 new cases. On Friday there were 12 cases reported statewide and just one person in hospital. COVID-19 deaths increased by one to 256, according to the Health Department.
The latest town-by-town map released on Friday with data current through Wednesday, June 2, shows three new cases for Waterbury in the past week. None of the towns adjacent to Waterbury or in the Harwood Unified Union School District have reported any new cases for the past week and in many cases, not for several weeks.
Vaccines, testing in Waterbury
This weekend, in addition to vaccines being available at Kinney Drugs and Shaw’s pharmacies, walk-in vaccine clinics are scheduled for:
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waterbury Ambulance Service on Guptil Road. This is the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine available to those age 18 and older.
Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon at Waterbury Center State Park; also Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Youngsters age 12-17 are only eligible for the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
COVID-19 testing continues at the Waterbury Ambulance Service station on Guptil Road in Waterbury Center. The schedule for testing is Monday, Friday, Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday 1-5 p.m.; Wednesday 4-7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to noon. Starting on Thursday, testing will be offered at the Waterbury Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m.
All current COVID-19 information compiled by the Vermont Health Department is online at healthvermont.gov/covid-19.