COVID-19 Task Force: A Vaccination Update

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Beginning April 2, New Hampshire will vaccinate residents 16 and older for COVID-19.

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Baker Tower up close
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The State of New Hampshire will open COVID-19 vaccination appointments to all state residents age 16 and older beginning Friday, April 2, COVID-19 Task Force co-chairs Lisa Adams and Josh Keniston said in an email to the community Friday afternoon. Adams is a physician and a professor of medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine, and Keniston is vice president of campus services and institutional projects.

“Coupled with Vermont’s recent announcement about opening up its appointments, this is good news about the progress of vaccine deployment,” the message said.

In Vermont, residents 16 and older will be eligible for vaccines beginning April 19; the state’s full schedule of eligibility is available on the Vermont Department of Health website.

Adams and Keniston said that Dartmouth is exploring the possibility of expanding its current partnership with New Hampshire to facilitate vaccine appointments for eligible faculty, staff, and students during this new phase of the state’s vaccine rollout, as it has for eligible New Hampshire employees during the current phase (2a and 2b, which includes residents age 50 and above).

But the role Dartmouth will play in vaccinating the community is a decision that “will be made by the state,” Adams and Keniston said.

“We continue to explore all avenues we can to help our community get vaccinated. In the meantime, faculty, staff, and students who have not been vaccinated and have not scheduled an appointment through the current Dartmouth-New Hampshire partnership should pursue any other options available to them to obtain a vaccine.”

In their message, Adams and Keniston also reminded community members that vaccinations do not take full effect until two weeks after receiving the final dose.

“Currently, the majority of our community members are not vaccinated, and it is critical that we all continue to follow health protocols, including wearing an appropriate face covering, maintaining 6 feet of physical distance from others, and avoiding large groups,” they said. “These health guidelines are essential in preventing the spread of COVID-19.”

For the latest information on Dartmouth’s response to the pandemic visit the Dartmouth Together: COVID-19 Information website.

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