Get vaccinated at speedway, mobile, or walk-in clinics this weekend |
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Vermont is offering special COVID-19 vaccination opportunities tomorrow (Saturday, May 8) at the Bear Ridge and Devil's Bowl Speedways, with no appointment needed. These walk-in only clinics, held in partnership with the speedways and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams, will also have Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Bear Ridge Speedway event, at 1058 Kidder Road in Bradford (Orange County), will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the Newport/Glover EMS. There will be 150 slots available.
The Devil's Bowl Speedway event, at 2743 VT-22A in West Haven (Rutland County), will be held from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with Rescue Inc. There will be 180 slots available.
Eight mobile clinics in Essex County and one in Caledonia County this weekend will also offer Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You can make an appointment for the events through our website. They will also have some walk-in slots available.
Additional walk-in clinic opportunities below:
SATURDAY
CASTLETON
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Castleton University – Glenbrook Gymnasium
190 University Dr., Castleton
200 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
WELLS RIVER
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Blue Mountain Union School
2420 US-302, Wells River
60 doses of Moderna vaccine
SUNDAY
ST. JOHNSBURY
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Green Mountain Mall
2000 Memorial Drive #14, St. Johnsbury
40 doses of Moderna vaccine
RUTLAND
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Rutland Holiday Inn
476 Holiday Road, Rutland
30 doses of Pfizer vaccine
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Dr. Levine encourages anyone who's not yet vaccinated to get their shot |
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Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, encouraged anyone who has not yet gotten the COVID-19 vaccine to join the more than 350,000 Vermonters who have been vaccinated so far.
“Especially younger Vermonters who waited patiently as we first protected those who were older and high risk, I want you to know: it’s your turn now. Your shot is waiting for you,” Dr. Levine said.
Even people who are already vaccinated have a role to play, by helping others along their path to vaccination. That could mean finding their own personal reason to get vaccinated, or literally, by giving them a ride to a clinic, he said.
“So, if you haven’t yet, I ask you now to reach out to someone in your life, especially if they are younger, who may not be vaccinated, whether you’re a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, or a friend,” Dr. Levine said. “Share your own experience and see what you might be able to do to help. Your influence likely means more than you know.”
Meanwhile, Vermont continues its efforts to make getting vaccinated as easy as possible -- with clinics, drive-throughs, walk-ins and other opportunities at colleges and communities throughout the state.
“No matter what – there will be an option for everyone,” Dr. Levine added. “Vermonters have already told us that they are willing to get vaccinated. And Vermont’s standing as a leader in getting people vaccinated proves this to be true. We just need to help get those who are currently unvaccinated to the finish line faster.”
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Watch our social media feeds for walk-in vaccination opportunities! |
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More COVID-19 vaccine clinics have begun accepting “walk-ins” to get a vaccine without an appointment.
Watch our @healthvermont social media feeds or check our website to see if there are any near you or near someone you know! Then, share away! Thanks for helping spread the word.
Vaccine appointments are also available across the state for all Vermonters 16 and older, so if you haven’t yet made yours, sign up today! If you later book a vaccination that’s more convenient for you, please be sure to cancel the original appointment.
Regular walk-in clinic opportunities in Essex Junction are available now! Get a vaccine without an appointment: Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Essex Fairgrounds, 105 Pearl Street, Essex Junction. There are 150 total spots each day for dose one of the Pfizer vaccine.
If you can’t make an appointment online or need help, contact the call center at 855-722-7878.
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Parents of 12- to 15-year-olds can prepare for anticipated FDA approval of Pfizer vaccine |
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Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said at Friday’s press conference that, as Vermont prepares for the Pfizer vaccine to be approved by the FDA for 12 to 15-year-olds, parents can also get ready to make appointments for children soon.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting next Wednesday to consider approval and make its recommendations for this age, Dr. Levine said.
“If approved, we will be ready to open vaccination to this age group quickly,” he said. “So, if you have a child in this group, start planning ahead by creating an account on our website. Or if you already have one, you can add your child to your own account as a dependent. Then you’ll be prepared to make their appointment when we open registration.”
You or your child may already have an account from being tested for COVID-19 through a Health Department site, so now is a good time to check.
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said the state will offer school-based sites to make it more convenient for students, and all of these sites will be open to the public. Officials expect to have more information next week.
Sec. Smith also added that as of today, anyone who lives out of state but works in Vermont — regardless of their occupation — is eligible to make an appointment for, or walk in to, Vermont vaccine clinics.
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Vermont now has new outdoor mask and gathering requirements |
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As of May 1, when you are outdoors, masks are only required when you’re in a crowd or with multiple households where you can’t keep a 6-foot distance from others. Masks are still required in indoor public spaces. This guidance applies whether you are vaccinated or not.
Also starting May 1, there are new limits on gatherings, including social gatherings at a private residence and events at a venue. For indoor gatherings, there can be one unvaccinated person per 100 square feet up to 150 unvaccinated people (whichever is less), plus any number of fully vaccinated people. For outdoor gatherings, there can be 300 unvaccinated people, plus any number of fully vaccinated people.
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Abenaki Nation, Missisquoi Leadership share vaccine clinic experience |
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The Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi Leadership shared a reflection on a COVID-19 vaccine clinic held April 25 at the Abenaki Tribal Office:
“It was the best possible turn out, we were able to vaccinate 130 people. We had worried people would not attend the clinic because there is so much distrust in the Abenaki community when it comes to the State. Once Missisquoi leadership explained this to the representatives from the Department of Health, they spent an unbelievable number of hours providing appropriate materials and messaging for the community which seems to have made a difference. Our only difficulty on the day was the lack of connectivity, which is a struggle for everyone in the remote areas of Vermont. We had an opportunity to express our concerns about this issue with Dr. Levine when he stopped by to see how the clinic was going.”
As Vermont Abenaki Recognition & Heritage Week draws to a close, we will continue to honor our Abenaki neighbors and reflect on the struggle to achieve state recognition, the wisdom to connect with each other through storytelling and tradition, and the importance of protecting the land and its resources.
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Whether you traveled or have symptoms, COVID-19 testing is available |
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Remember, if you are unvaccinated (including children) and traveled outside the state, you must have a COVID-19 test within 3 days of returning to Vermont. For more details, visit our website.
And if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, such as a headache, cough, fatigue, or a runny nose, it’s best to get tested. It’s also important to avoid going to work, school, or other places until you receive a negative result. COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus, and this is how we can each protect our loved ones and our communities.
If you have symptoms, talk to your health care provider. They can refer you for testing.
Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still have COVID-19 and not feel sick. If you don’t have symptoms and want to get tested, there are many test sites now available around the state. It’s free and easy!
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Additional resources about vaccination & more |
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Take care of your emotional and mental health |
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If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs emotional support, help is available 24/7:
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COVID-19 vaccines prevent most people from getting seriously ill from COVID-19. However, a very small number of fully vaccinated people will still get infected with the virus. This is called “vaccine breakthrough,” and it happens with any vaccine, including measles, mumps, flu and others.
There were 161 vaccine breakthrough cases among Vermonters. These cases represent a small portion, about 0.06%, of the fully vaccinated population.
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360,133 (65.8%) Vermonters have received at least one dose of vaccine.
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255,266 (46.7%) Vermonters have completed vaccination
NOTE: Due to delays in some CDC reporting, vaccine data from 5/6 and 5/7 — related to approximately 6,600 1st and 2nd doses — will not be published on the vaccine dashboard until tomorrow (5/8).
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