Starting this week, New Hampshire residents 65 and older will be able to register for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s exciting for us because we want to see our grandchildren, we want some normalcy, and this is a step in that direction,” Woodworth said.
Thanks to the recent vaccine rollout changes in New Hampshire, 65-year-old Donald Woodworth and his wife, Nancy, of Atkinson, will be vaccinated in the next phase.
Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu officially lowered the eligibility age of phase 1B from 75 to 65.
"The 'how' is very important," Sununu said. "We know there are folks out there with a lot of anxiety and wondering, 'what’s our next move?'"
Starting on Friday, if you’re 65 years or older, you can register on the state’s vaccine website, www.vaccines.nh.gov.
You’ll then receive an email with a link. Follow that link to choose your location and schedule an appointment.
"You show up with a license or something that says you’re over 65, you get your shot, we tried to make it really just that simple," Sununu explained.
Sununu is hopeful that the 300,000 people included in phase 1B will have their first round of shots by March.
“I think by mid-February you’re going to start seeing the fatality rate and hospitalizations drop,” Sununu said. “We’ve already seen it start dropping, which is great, but we’re going to see it quite precipitously within the next four or five weeks.”
Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, especially for Woodworth who is the Principal at Timberlane High School.
“We’re at risk for exposure because we see hundreds of kids every day,” he said.
So, he’ll encourage all his teachers 65 and older to sign up on Friday.
Woodworth and his wife say they’re just looking forward to the day their family can be together again.
“I can’t wait until we don’t have to be worried about it and Nancy and I can have everyone over at once, maybe this summer, maybe soon,” he said.
If you have any medical condition, you should contact your primary care provider before scheduling your vaccine.
And if you don’t use a computer, your doctor should be able to help you get an appointment.
