ARCHIVED COVID-19 Vaccine

As of March 1, 2021, eligible child care and support staff in Connecticut can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The guidance on this page will help answer questions you might have about how to get ready for the vaccine and how the process works.

Read Governor Lamont’s press release from February 22, 2021, which announced the eligibility of child care providers and staff.

What programs and staff are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine?

Starting March 1, 2021, eligible child care providers include currently-operating:

• Child care centers
• Group child care homes
• Family child care homes
• Youth camps
• Child care programs operated by a local board of education or municipality
• Birth to Three providers offering on-site services to child care programs or anticipating on-site services to take place within the next 60 days

Eligible staff include people who work in these settings, such as:

• Teachers
• Family child care home providers
• Birth to Three providers who offer on-site services to child care programs
• Substitutes and assistants (including student interns)
• Paraprofessionals
• Custodial and food service staff
• Bus drivers
• Administrative or other staff with direct care responsibility

A few specifics about eligibility:

• If you’re planning to work in a summer youth camp, you’re not eligible yet. Providers and other staff at youth camps (and other programs that are not open) become eligible starting 60 days before the program opens. As of April 5, all individuals 16 and over become eligible regardless of employment status.
• At this stage in the vaccine rollout, family members in family child care homes are not eligible to get the vaccine (unless they are otherwise eligible based on their age or employment in a phase 1a healthcare category).

Unlicensed home-based child care providers such as relatives, au pairs, or nannies are not eligible for the vaccine as child care or education providers (unless they are eligible based on their age).

I’m an eligible provider or staff member — what happens next?

Local health agencies have been working hard to coordinate plans for their communities. This takes time.  Keep in mind that the process will vary from town to town. Some local health departments will use the state’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) and some will not. Most providers will be able to go to a vaccine clinic that’s been set up specifically for child care and school staff in their community.

This Local Health Department Vaccine distribution document provides information regarding vaccine access, by community, for those individuals eligible under the priority for child care, youth camp, and school district staff. On this list you will find the current information identifying how each community is delivering child care and youth camp vaccines so you know what to expect. Local health districts communicate directly with providers using contact information provided by OEC. This list is updated as the Office of Early Childhood learns of new plans or updates to existing plans. Please direct questions to your local health department.

If you do not know what district you are in, a map is available here.

If you have not heard from your local health district or a vaccine partner and need a vaccine appointment, you have three additional options, all of which have set aside appointments for providers. Providers are invited to make an appointment for a vaccine using one of the three following options:   

1. Click on the following link to register for a vaccine in appointments allocated just for early childhood educators on Saturdays and Sundays: https://covid.ctunitedway.org/childcare/   
2. Call the Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 833-916-2991, available 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST, 7 days a week for support to schedule appointments.    
3. Click here and enter your zip code to find other options to schedule your vaccination. 

OEC will update this posted information as districts finalize their plans or make changes that we are alerted to.

You can also call 2-1-1 or explore vaccine scheduling options on the state’s COVID-19 Response site.

I’m an eligible Birth to Three provider. What do I do next?

Eligible Birth to Three providers are those offering on-site services to child care programs or anticipating on-site services to take place within the next 60 days.

Birth to Three Providers will find vaccine scheduling options on the state’s COVID-19 Response site or by calling 211. 

Where can I get more information about the vaccine?

We’ll update this page with additional guidance as it becomes available. You can also learn more from the DPH COVID-19 Response website.

DPH also has a series of helpful factsheets and videos on the vaccine. Explore DPH’s vaccine resources.

Watch a video of our OEC vaccine webinar from February 24, 2021, which included staff from the Office of the Governor, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Education.