This week, Hartford HealthCare plans to open at least 3 new mega-vaccination clinics in Connecticut.
The effort is part of the health systems plan to get more shots in the arms and expand access to doses for eligible patients.
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine in Connecticut
The three new locations include Xfinity Theater in Hartford, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield and Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket.
The data have shown that people who meet the obesity standard have a higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19. As a result, some states use BMI, or body mass index, to qualify people for early access to a vaccine. NBC News’ medical correspondent, Dr. John Torres, joined LX News to talk about how BMI helps calculate your risk and where it falls short.
The healthcare system has the capacity to distribute 35,000 vaccines a week and, if supply increased, the system could distribute more than 75,000 vaccines a week.
To sign up for an appointment, you can call 2-1-1 or go to hartfordhealthcare.org.
How to Get an Appointment for a COVID-19 Vaccine in Connecticut
By phone: Call the Connecticut Vaccine Appointment Helpline at 877-918-2224, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to schedule at certain locations.
On line: Schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at VAMS, the vaccine administration management system.
- Fill out the form to inform the Department of Public Health that you are interested in creating an account at VAMS. If you are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, you must receive an email from VAMS to complete registration within 12 hours. Click here to create an account.
- Look for an email at [email protected]. Click on the email link and create your account. You will be asked to retrieve a code that will be emailed to you. You will need to create a password and save it in a safe place.
- If you forgot your password, the “Forgot Password” link on your login page can only be used if you created a password as part of the VAMS record.
- Complete the VAMS registration.
- The first question to be asked at VAMS is “Have you already registered as a vaccine recipient with VAMS?” The answer to that question is “no.”
- Questions with a red asterisk are required.
- It is not necessary to enter the insurance information.
- You will be asked to share additional information about yourself.
- For VAMS to recognize the option chosen for the race, click your option in the box on the left and click the arrow pointing to the right to move your option to the box on the right.
- Use your zip code to search for clinics near VAMS.
- The system will automatically search for clinics within a 10-mile radius of your zip code, but you can choose up to 100 miles from the drop-down menu, which can provide more clinic locations in search results.
- You may need to review several clinic locations to find an available appointment. Find a slot that works for you and book your appointment.