BRHD COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
Last week, the Virginia Department of Health's Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD) received our first shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations. Moving forward, we will continue to receive vaccines on a rolling basis as we begin to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers and more.

On Monday, December 28, 2020, our first Blue Ridge Health District staff members received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Administering the new COVID-19 vaccine has required hours of staff training, a new inventory system which currently requires manual input, and using Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), a brand new software to provide end-to-end vaccination services. We also experienced a delay in receiving the COVID-19 vaccines, but are quickly working to protect our staff and get familiar with the new systems so we can ensure our vaccination process is as efficient as possible for when we begin vaccinating other frontline healthcare workers next week.
Pictured (left to right) are BRHD nurses Erin Callas and Meghan Love vaccinating BRHD staff Lietzle Ford, Nick Mattsson, and Yevette Bradley.
Vaccination Plans Starting January 4, 2020
Starting Monday, January 4, 2021, BRHD will begin to vaccinate district EMS providers, dialysis center staff, and Region Ten residential facility staff.

In the coming weeks, we will expand to vaccinate the rest of Phase 1A frontline healthcare workers, which includes personnel who directly engage in the care of or interact with patients with known or suspected COVID-19 and patients at higher risk for infections. This includes home health and hospice, primary care providers, ambulatory surgery centers, dental practices, pharmacies, Department of Corrections' healthcare personnel, K-12 school nurses, students in clinical rotations, and more. Also included in Phase 1A are Long Term Care Facility (LTCF) residents and staff who will be vaccinated through the CDC federal pharmacy partnership with CVS and Walgreens.

We are very grateful for Red Light Management and the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band who have donated space and funding, along with help in coordinating efforts for us to begin hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics next week in the former Kmart parking lot in Charlottesville, VA. A large-scale modular structure will be set up on the site, allowing us to vaccinate larger numbers of people in a single location that is centrally located with ample parking. This will ultimately decrease the time it takes to vaccinate people in each phase of the vaccination campaign. We also want to thank Skyline Tent Company, Martin Horn, and Riverbend Development for moving so quickly to get the structure up to support the community. Starting with at least three clinics per week, we plan to increase the number of clinics offered at the Kmart location.

We are also collaborating with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to host a series of vaccine clinics in Charlottesville. Additionally, we are working closely with local governments to secure locations throughout the district to provide access to the vaccine. Locations will initially include local fire and rescue stations and community centers and expand into neighborhoods and communities to provide equitable access to the vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccine Survey for Healthcare Providers
If you are a frontline healthcare entity in the Blue Ridge Health District (serving the City of Charlottesville and/or Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson counties) please complete this survey to let us know of your need for staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This survey is only for healthcare provider groups. This survey does not guarantee availability of vaccine at this time. If you or someone from your healthcare organization has already completed this survey, do not fill it out again.
Next Steps...
We are excited about the many inquiries that we have received from community members asking when they can get vaccinated. At this time, we are prioritizing Phase 1A frontline healthcare workers. Vaccines will be made available next to the various populations identified in Phase 1B and 1C established by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH). We will continue to distribute updates via newsletters, social media, and on our website.

VDH recently launched an interactive COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard where you can stay up-to-date with the latest number of individuals who have been vaccinated in our local health district. This dashboard reports individuals vaccinated based on where they live, not where they received the vaccine.

Although some may be getting a COVID-19 vaccine now, everyone is encouraged to continue safe practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Continue to wear cloth face-coverings or masks, stay at least six feet away from others, wash your hands well and often, and avoid gatherings with anyone who is not a member of your household.