NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Riverside Health System said Thursday that it was ready to start giving coronavirus vaccines to its primary care patients who were 75 years or older.
A news release from a spokeswoman said teams already had given out 9,000 vaccines to healthcare workers in and outside of the hospital system in Phase 1a: that's 75% of the doses Virginia allotted.
This next phase of vaccines, 1b, is by appointment only.
As people become eligible for their vaccine, the hospital system will be putting information on how to make an appointment on the Riverside MyChart app.
"We know that many members of the public including those 65 years of age to 74 years of age as well as other essential workers have many questions as to when they will have access to the vaccine," the spokesperson wrote. "We are working closely with other regional health systems and the Virginia Department of Health to develop detailed plans for these groups once adequate supplies of vaccines become available."
The state of Virginia doles out vaccine doses to hospital systems, but as supplies hold out, Riverside's goal is to vaccinate 5,000 people per week in this next phase.