Around 1.3 million Connecticut residents become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, April 1. As of that date, the vaccine will be open to all residents age 16 and older.
Prior to April 1, the vaccine has only been available for certain categories, including residents age 45 and older, those who live or work in congregate settings, and residents who work in the fields of health care and education.
In order to get the vaccine in Connecticut, you must live or work in the state.
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Who Will Get Priority Access Starting April 1?
Priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine will be given to people ages 16 to 44 with specific medically high-risk conditions starting April 1, according to Governor Ned Lamont.
Connecticut residents with the following conditions will be given priority in registering for the vaccine:
- Sickle cell disease
- End-stage renal disease on dialysis
- Active cancer treatment
- Solid organ transplant
- Down syndrome
- Medically complex patients of Connecticut Children's
- Patients of Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
This prioritization will include roughly 10,000 residents who have not yet received the vaccine.
Priority will also be given to those with "intellectual and developmental disabilities," the governor said in a news conference Monday. He said there will be dedicated clinics organized by the Department of Developmental Services.
About 9,000 individuals will make up this prioritization group, according to state officials.
How to Get an Appointment for a COVID-19 Vaccine in Connecticut
We put together some details to help make the process of getting an appointment a little easier.
By phone: Call Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for scheduling at select sites.
Online: Schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment in VAMS, the Vaccine Administration Management System.
The VAMS system is open as of 10 a.m. for all Connecticut residents 16 and older to register.
- Fill out the form to let the Department of Public health know you are interested in creating an account in VAMS. If you are currently eligible to receive the vaccine then you should receive an email from VAMS to complete your registration within 12 hours. Click here to create an account.
- Check for an email from no-reply@mail.vams.cdc.gov. Click on the link in the email and create your account. You will be prompted to retrieve a code that will be emailed to you. You will need to create a password and store it in a safe place.
- If you forgot your password, the "forgot password" link on the login page can only be used if you have created a password as part of your VAMS registration.
- Complete your VAMS registration.
- The first question that will be asked in VAMS is “Have you already registered as a vaccine recipient with VAMS?” The answer to this question is “No.”
- Questions with a red asterisk are mandatory.
- Insurance information does not need to be entered.
- You will be prompted to share some additional information about yourself.
- In order for VAMS to recognize your option chosen for race, click on your choice in the box on the left and click the right-pointing arrow to move your choice to the box on the right.
- Use your zip code to search for clinics near you in VAMS.
- The system will automatically search for clinics within a 10-mile radius of your zip code, but you may choose up to 100 miles from the dropdown menu, which might provide more clinic locations in your search results.
- You might need to check multiple clinic locations to find an available appointment. Find a slot that works for you, and book your appointment.
Note:To get a vaccine in Connecticut, you must either live or work in the state. If you typically visit a provider here but do not live or work in Connecticut, you are not eligible and must get vaccinated in your home state.
Providers With Their Own Vaccine Sign-Ups
- CVS Pharmacy
- Bridgeport
- Bristol
- Colchester
- Coventry
- Danbury
- Enfield
- Guilford
- Hamden
- Hartford
- New Britain
- New Haven
- Norwalk
- Putnam
- Uncasville
- Waterbury
- Waterford
- Willimantic
- Windsor Locks
- Winsted
- Hartford Healthcare
- Middlesex Health
- UCONN Health
- Stamford Health
- Walgreens: Access the scheduler here
- Canaan
- Canterbury
- Dayville
- Jewett City
- Litchfield
- Moosup
- Putnam
- Stafford Springs
- Terryville
- Thomaston
- Torrington
- Watertown
- Walmart. Click here to schedule your vaccine
- Bristol
- East Windsor
- Hartford
- New Haven
- North Windham
- Norwalk
- Torrington
- Waterbury
- West Haven
- Yale New Haven Health
What to Do If You Are Having Trouble Signing Up?
- Call the United Way Vaccine Assistance Line at 877-918-2224 https://uwc.211ct.org/vaccine/
- Join the New York/Connecticut Vaccine Hunters and Angels Facebook Group. This is a group of volunteers who help people find COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
- Ask a family member who has time to check throughout the day to check on openings.
- Check back often as new appointments regularly open up, but if you do book additional appointments, make sure to go back and cancel the ones you are not using.
Coronavirus Vaccination Status in Connecticut
More than 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the state, as of March 29.
Of that number, 1,189,197 are first or single doses and 684,200 are second doses.
Below is a breakdown of what percentage of people have received the vaccine by age group:
- 65 and up: 80%
- 55 to 64: 61%
- 45 to 54: 38%
- All adults 16 and up: 41%
Lamont said over 240,000 first doses have been administered this past week alone and expects that weekly number to continue to grow as more doses become available.
