RI Coronavirus Vaccines Open To Resident 65 And Up Feb. 22

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island opened appointments for its first two mass coronavirus vaccine sites Wednesday, with the first shots set to be put into the public's arms the following day. The other big news of the day was the announcement that vaccine eligibility will be expanded to include anyone aged 65 and older starting Monday.

The expanded eligibility, along with the high-volume sites, are part of the Department of Health's effort to speed up distribution in the second phase of the rollout plan. While the first phase was specifically targeted to reduce hospitalizations and focus on health care workers, high-density communities and residents of long-term care facilities, the focus is now broadening to age groups.

"Now it's time to move to our public-facing administration of doses," said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Department of Health.

RI vaccine appointment website: vaccinateRI.org

Residents in the 65 to 74 age group are encouraged to make an appointment at one of the mass sites — one at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence and the other at Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston. These sites are designed for high volume, currently able to administer about 1,400 doses per day. These numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks, with the goal of doubling to 2,800 by early March.

This approach allows communities, which receive far fewer vaccine doses, to focus on working through their lists of 75-and-older residents, Alexander-Scott said.

Rhode Island's weekly allocation of doses from the federal government has been increased, Alexander-Scott said, rising from the 16,000 first doses of the previous weeks to 22,500. This is due to more Pfizer vaccines becoming available, as well as a change in production that allows for six doses per vial instead of the current five.

Because the state's vaccine demand remains considerably higher than the current supply, the available appointments, both this week and after the expansion, are expected to fill up quickly. Alexander-Scott encouraged residents to be patient throughout the process, and continue to check back if no appointments are available. For those who opt for the phone system, it may be necessary to call back the following day to see if more appointments are available.

At this time, residents must submit all their information on the appointment website before they can see if any slots are open. The department recognizes that this is inconvenient, Alexander-Scott said, and is working on an update to the website to make it more user-friendly. These changes are expected to launch in the coming weeks.

The same is true for the phone system, which is currently automated. Residents who call 844-930-1779 can leave a message and will receive a call back from the Department of Health for assistance making an appointment. The plan is to transition to a live call center system as soon as possible, Alexander-Scott said, which will be staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays or weekends from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the longer term, the state plans to consolidate the community and state-run sites to one centralized system, though pharmacies will continue to be a separate system.

Coronavirus in Rhode Island: Read more

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• U.K. Coronavirus Variant Found In RI: How To Stay Safe
• Incoming RI Governor 'Not Satisfied' With State's Vaccine Rollout
• 2 Mass Coronavirus Vaccination Sites To Open In Rhode Island