“Everybody has somebody they want to put into the next group.”
Ned Lamont, Jan 4, 2021Asked when the general population would be eligible for the vaccination, Lamont again said he’d take the advice of the Allocation Committee, who are meeting on Tuesday.
Given the news that the UK variant of Covid-19 was found in Saratoga, NY, Lamont was asked if he would add other population groups such as adults 65+ or 75+ or people under 65 with medical conditions to phase 1B.
“If you put one group at the front of the line, other groups go to the back of the line.”
– CT Governor Ned Lamont on giving the vaccine to some population groups earlier than others
“What limits us is the supply of vaccines. Every time someone says, ‘Put them at the front of the line,’ you’re displacing someone else. That’s why I do tend to rely upon the CDC and our vaccine board. I think they’ll make decisions on the public health and the greater good.”
Lamont said there were controls to prevent people from cutting the line for a vaccine.
He said currently essential workers are receiving the vaccine through hospitals and nursing homes, where there are controls.
Then, in phase 1B, essential workers will sign up for a vaccine by appointment/reservation and provide ID.
“We know it’s the first-line essential worker getting the vaccine, not their second cousin once removed,” he said.
There is more information on Covid-19 vaccinations in Connecticut on the state website.
The website says that the state’s goal is for all residents to have access to the vaccination, but that it would likely not occur until late spring or early summer 2021.