New CT Coronavirus Vaccine Eligibility: 5 Things To Know

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont made a surprise announcement Monday about the state moving to an age-based system for coronavirus vaccinations.

Teachers, child care workers and many other in-person school staff are also qualified to get the vaccine through special clinics.

Here are some answers to questions about the recent announcement.

What are the age brackets?

• March 1: Expands to the age group 55 to 64
• March 22: Expands to age group 45 to 54
• April 12: Expands to age group 35 to 44
• May 3: Expands to age group 16 to 34

These dates are when appointments can first be made.

Why was the decision made?

Lamont cited many questions state officials received about who qualifies as a front-line essential worker or someone with a pre-existing health condition.

“KISS, keep it simple stupid,” Lamont said, referring to the longtime business motto. “A lot of complications are the result from states that tried to finely slice the salami, and it got very complicated to administer.”

Some questions with no easy answers included: Do office employees at grocery stores qualify as front-line workers? What about liquor store employees? Does the agricultural sector include landscapers and arborists? Why isn’t my serious health condition like type 1 diabetes included on the list of qualifying conditions to receive the vaccine? What if I don’t have a doctor to certify I have a pre-existing condition?

“In our own experience we found the close correlation between age and risk, age and comorbidities, and age and fatalities,” Lamont said.

Around 96 percent of all coronavirus fatalities in Connecticut are people over the age of 55.

What about children under 16?

Current U.S. Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorizations only apply to people 16 and older. Studies are being done on vaccines in children.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said it was possible that children as young as those in the first grade could be vaccinated by September if trials run smoothly, according to ProPublica.

How does it differ from CDC guidelines?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that front-line essential workers and people 75 years old and older be part of phase 1b. People between 65 and 74, people 16 and over with underlying medical conditions and other essential workers are designated as part of 1C under the CDC’s guidelines.

Connecticut followed the CDC’s 1a guidelines for frontline health care workers and long-term care residents and staff and partly stuck with CDC guidelines by allowing people over the age of 75 to join the 1b group.

Connecticut’s first major break with guidelines came when the state began vaccinating people between 65 and 74 before frontline essential workers and a further break by moving to an age bracket system.

Ultimately, state authorities get to decide how to run the vaccine rollout.

How will vaccinations work for teachers and school staff?

The hope is that all teachers and other qualified school staff will get their first vaccine dose within a month, Lamont said. Qualified people include janitors, paraprofessionals and others whose duties are in-person at a school. Child care provider employees also qualify.

State officials will work with superintendents and local health departments to set up dedicated clinics, state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said. Teachers and other qualified staff should expect to hear from their superintendents about the program soon.