For some time, town staff has been pursuing the possibility of a COVID vaccination site in Bridgewater. We know our residents are anxious to receive the vaccine and we want to aid in any way we can. This week, in a conference call with representatives of Carilion, Sentara, and the Virginia Department of Health, we discussed the possibility and determined that the time is not yet right for a local vaccination site.
There just isn’t enough vaccine in the Commonwealth to support additional sites at the moment. Assuredly, the Health Department is distributing every bit of the vaccine which comes into Virginia, and that supply is insufficient to meet demand.
In our area, Walmart, Kroger, and Martin’s have all been approved to provide vaccinations, but we doubt that they will receive any allocations for a while. Our best educated guess is that vaccine will be readily available only after a third supplier (probably Johnson & Johnson) is approved.
Currently, VDH is administering vaccinations to “Phase 1(B)” of the population:
- Frontline Essential Workers,
- People Aged 65 years and Older,
- People Living in Correctional Facilities, Homeless Shelters and Migrant Labor Camps, and
- People aged 16 through 64 years with a High Risk Medical Condition or Disability that Increases Their Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19.
If you fall into Phase 1(B), you can determine your next steps here. We encourage you to check out the next steps with VDH and sign-up for their updates. We will continue to update residents with any changes in the possibility of hosting a vaccination site in Bridgewater.
Update: If you live in Rockingham County and meet the age range and requirement for the Vaccination and do not have an email address you may contact the Rockingham County Department of fire Rescue at 540-564-3175. Monday Through Friday between 8-5 and staff will assist you in signing up for a future vaccination.