JIC RELEASE NO. 544 - VAPPC Expands Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines;School-Based Staff to be Vaccinated Starting Saturday; COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Schedule for January 23 - GHS OCD

VAPPC Expands Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines
During its last meeting on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, the Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee (VAPPC) approved the expansion of the Phase 1b category to include public and private school-based staff and school bus drivers, and Guam-based flight crew. The VAPPC also approved expanding the eligibility criteria under the Phase 1c category, focusing on specific target groups like the homeless population who are in residential programs and individuals with disabilities.

School-Based Staff to be Vaccinated Starting Saturday
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS), in collaboration with the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC), and the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) will hold a vaccination clinic at GRMC in Dededo on Saturday, January 23, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m for both public and private school-based employees.

School-based employees from the following schools will be accepted:

Eligible School-based Employees
Astumbo Elementary School DL Perez Elementary School Finegayan Elementary School Machananao Elementary School Upi Elementary School Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School Liguan Elementary School	Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School Adacao Elementary School Wettengel Elementary School Tamuning Elementary School Chief Brodie Elementary School LB Johnson Elementary School Okkodo High School	Dominican Catholic School Santa Barbara Catholic School Mercy Heights Catholic Nursery & Kindergarten Saint Anthony Catholic School Academy of Our Lady of Guam

School-based employees are encouraged to bring an employment ID or proof of employment. First-come, first-served. Please bring a government-issued ID. Additional vaccination clinics will be scheduled for remaining school-based employees and school bus drivers.

First Dose Vaccination Clinic on Jan. 23 at Southern Region Community Health Center

DPHSS, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, GDOE, Mayors’ Council of Guam (MCOG), Department of Public Works (DPW), Guam Department of Labor (GDOL), Guam Fire Department (GFD), Guam Police Department (GPD), Guam National Guard (GUNG), University of Guam (UOG) School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Serve Guam Commission which oversees the AmeriCorps Guam Program, will continue its COVID-19 vaccination clinic the Southern Region Community Health Center (SRCHC) in Inarajan on Saturday, January 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. for Phase 1c (individuals 60 years and older) to receive Pfizer-BioNTech Dose One.

DPHSS will issue up to 250 tickets at SRCHC per day for vaccinations on a first-come, first-served basis to patients in their vehicles only. Patient Parking Instructions will be printed on the back of each ticket. Please bring a photo ID.

First Dose Vaccination Clinic on January 23 at Okkodo High School

The DPHSS COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Okkodo High School in Dededo will resume on Saturday, January 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. for Phase 1c (individuals 60 years and older) to receive Pfizer-BioNTech Dose One. DPHSS will issue vaccination tickets on a first-come, first-served basis to patients in their vehicles only. Patient Parking Instructions will be printed on the back of each ticket. Please bring a photo ID.

Pre-screening Eligibility Vaccinations

To take the COVID-19 vaccine, you must meet the following pre-screening eligibility criteria*:

Must not be currently infected with COVID-19, or previously exposed within the last 14 days
Must not have received any other vaccine, such as the flu shot, in the last 14 days

*Please note: If this is your first time receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please make sure you have never taken other COVID-19 vaccine products. Please visit dphss.guam.gov to view the pre-screening eligibility.

V-Safe Vaccine Symptom Monitoring

Individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to register for the tool called v-safe, offered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Through v-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers, someone from CDC may call to check on you. V-safe will remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one. Sign up for v-safe with your smartphone’s browser athttps://vsafe.cdc.gov.

GBHWC Crisis Hotline

The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) has a Crisis Hotline that is available 24/7 at (671) 647-8833/4. For those feeling anxious, stressed, overwhelmed or are needing to talk to someone, GBHWC has experienced providers available and ready to assist the community with any heightened stress and anxiety experienced as a result of COVID-19.

For the latest information on COVID-19, visit dphss.guam.gov or guamrecovery.com. For inquiries on COVID-19, contact 311 through a local number, or call the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC RELEASE NO. 544 - VAPPC Expands Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines;School-Based Staff to be Vaccinated Starting Saturday; COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Schedule for January 23