HARDWICK — Nancy Stevens was among the first members of the general public in Vermont to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Outside a clinic at Hazen Union High School, the 83-year-old said she was surprised to have snagged an opening-day appointment when the state’s registration system opened on Monday. “I got right through as soon as it opened,” she said.
Stevens, who lives in East Hardwick, has been homebound for the past 11 months. “It’s been tough,” she said. “I miss my family. I used to go places and do things with my family and friends almost every day.” She skipped the usual Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers, and still hasn’t met one of her great-grandchildren, who was born almost a year ago.
“I’d like very much to be able to be free again,” Stevens said.
Her vaccination was a first step. More than a thousand Vermonters received their first dose of the vaccine Wednesday, when 25 clinics for the general public opened statewide. More sites will come online in the coming days, according to the Health Department, eventually totaling 54 locations in 39 cities and towns.
All Vermonters 75 and older are eligible to make appointments. About 30,700 people had registered by around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, nearly three-fourths of the eligible population that had yet to receive the vaccine.
When enough Vermonters are immune, state officials expect to begin unwinding the restrictions that have hampered people’s lives for the better part of a year. “This is the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services, at a press conference Wednesday morning.
Valerie Valcour ran the site in Hardwick. As a public health nurse with the state for 21 years, Valcour had staffed previous vaccination efforts for diseases such as H1N1, tetanus and influenza. “This is by far the largest scale I’ve ever done,” she said. “It’s exciting. And nerve-wracking.”
The site was running smoothly so far, Valcour said around noon. Thirteen people — a combination of state employees, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers, and local emergency medical technicians — helped patients through the process. One checked each incoming person against the list of registered patients, took their temperature and asked if they were exhibiting any symptoms.
Patients then proceeded to the high school’s gym. Along the halfcourt line, they sat down at a row of tables and chairs to fill out paperwork, then sat between two fabric partitions to receive their shot. Staff guided each patient to a row of folding chairs, where they were asked to sit for at least 15 minutes to ensure they didn’t have an adverse reaction.
Valcour said the team had experienced only minor snags. The online system for checking registrations and scheduling appointments for patients’ second doses had caused some glitches early on, she said, but had not interrupted anyone’s ability to get their vaccine.
The Health Department has urged people to keep their appointments, warning that no-shows could lead to spoiled doses. At the Hardwick site, only three people had missed their spots by around 2 p.m.
Valcour said that, amid the busy work of getting the site up and running, she hadn’t fully had the opportunity to step back and appreciate the significance of the day.
“I know it’s a big event,” she said. “This is the ultimate public health work — vaccinations, and being able to protect lives and prevent death.”
Betty Ackermann, 88, drove from Cabot to get her shot. Ackermann has no internet connection, so her granddaughter registered her on Monday. Her vaccination was “very efficient,” she said — the whole process took less than half an hour.
Asked what would change for her when she’s fully immune, Ackermann said, “Not much. I live by myself and it’s quiet most of the time. I’ll be able to hug my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
But she felt strongly about getting vaccinated for the greater good. “They urge everybody to get it,” she said. “I’d be happy if this virus gets the heck out of the country, and I’ll do whatever they want me to do to try to do that.”
To register for a vaccine appointment or get information on walk-in clinics, visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine or call 855-722-7878.
You will be asked to provide your name, date of birth, address, email (if available), phone number, and health insurance information (if available, but not required).
