Jillian Gilchrest

I’m excited to announce that Connecticut residents aged 65 to 74 can now begin booking appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are 65 to 74 years old, you can now book your appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the state’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line (877-918-2224) as well as with some independent vaccine providers. You may also be able to book an appointment through the state’s online central system or VAMS. Please note that some vaccine providers, including Hartford Healthcare, are waiting for a formal announcement from the Governor before they begin booking appointments. We anticipate this announcement will be made sometime this week.
 
It is also important to note that while you can now begin booking a vaccine appointment if you are in the 65- to 74-year-old age group, it may be several weeks before you actually receive your first shot due to ongoing vaccine shortages nationwide.
 
While I am as frustrated as you are with the vaccine shortages and the continued confusion of the vaccine rollout, I urge you to have patience as our state works to vaccinate all of our residents.
 

Yesterday, my fellow legislators and I joined community leaders for the Education Funding Now Campaign Launch; which advocates for justice in the funding formula for public schools. 

Equal opportunity within education should not be a privilege. The pandemic has only emphasized the injustice within the current funding formula, and it is imperative that we fully fund public education in Connecticut now. This is essential if we want to end systemic racism and create equal opportunities for all children in households of varying economic backgrounds.