As states begin to open up COVID-19 vaccines to the greater population, many parents are asking, what about our caretakers? For families that operate only with the help of nannies and babysitters, essential workers as far as they’re concerned, it makes sense that these individuals would be next in line for the shot. But as has been made abundantly clear, vaccine protocols vary widely from state to state. So how can nannies, babysitters, and caretakers get the covid vaccine?
There’s good news: As of Monday, April 19, all U.S. adults age 18 years and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
To find out how you can take advantage of this vaccine expansion, the best advice is to check your state’s regulations.
Can babysitters get the vaccine?
Biden administration working to improve child care worker vaccination numbers
The Biden administration moved up its deadline for all Americans to become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by April 19, as reported by The Washington Post. That means that in this month, every nanny, babysitter, or at-home childcare individual who is older than 18 will be able to receive the vaccine.
However, if you’re looking to get vaccinated before that date, as mentioned above, you’ll need to check your state’s eligibility requirements. As of April 8, 39 states had made the vaccine available to all people ages 16 and up. You can find those states here.
If you're over than the age of 65, or under
If you are a nanny or caretaker over the age of 65, then you’re in luck. Every state is vaccinating those 65 and older, the New York Times reports.
If you're a babysitter or nanny under that age, but have an existing condition that makes you more susceptible to illness, then you too can likely get the vaccine before April 19 based on the previously mentioned comorbidity prioritization. Whether or not you would need a doctor’s note to show proof of your condition would be up to each individual provider (which in some states is defined by county), so it’s worth asking in advance. However, a December USA Today story noted that many providers would avoid a doctor’s note requirement as it might “be a risk of increasing barriers and accessibility for people who may not have access to a primary care doctor.”
Case in point, “nannies and in-home caregivers, if 65 or older or 16 and older with an identified chronic condition, can be vaccinated now,” says Douglas Loveday, Press Officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
If you work in a childcare facility, you can get the vaccine in most cases.
For instance, Washington State’s Department of Health tells Romper that “People who are providing regular babysitting/nannying are eligible if the care environment is similar to an in-home childcare setting.” An Emergency Communications Consultant with the Center for Public Affairs adds that “this means it is a congregate setting, with a high volume/high density of children from different households where social distancing is challenging. These factors contribute to increased exposure risk in a childcare care setting. A person providing babysitting/nannying in a non-congregate setting would not qualify.”
So, at least in Washington, if you’re caring for a group of children from various households, you should be able to get the vaccine now, King5 New reports.
Whether you need to show proof of employment, however, depends, again, on your vaccine provider. Following an incident in Los Angeles County, according to the LA Times, where nearly 100 people jumped the vaccine line before official healthcare workers, the county began requiring proof of ID and proof of employment. So while there’s no set rule across the country, to be safe, bring an ID and some form or proof of employment just in case
Defining in-home caretakers
Many of the health departments Romper reached out to (25 states in all) couldn’t say for certain what phase in-home caretakers workers fall under. In fact, in the case of Wyoming’s Health Department, when asked if they could say whether Phase 1B’s "Child care service providers" includes nannies and babysitters, the spokesperson responded with “No, I can’t. I don’t have a definition on that.”
If you work in a child care facility, however, you can get the vaccine in most cases.
For instance, Washington State’s Department of Health tells Romper that “People who are providing regular babysitting/nannying are eligible if the care environment is similar to an in-home child care setting.” An Emergency Communications Consultant with the Center for Public Affairs adds that “this means it is a congregate setting, with a high volume/high density of children from different households where social distancing is challenging. These factors contribute to increased exposure risk in a childcare care setting. A person providing babysitting/nannying in a non-congregate setting would not qualify.”
So, at least in Washington, if you’re caring for a group of children from various households, you should be able to get the vaccine in phase 1B tiers 2 and 4 when they open.
Whether you need to show proof of employment, however, depends, again, on your vaccine provider. Following an incident in Los Angeles County, according to the LA Times, where nearly 100 people jumped the vaccine line before official healthcare workers, the county began requiring proof of ID and proof of employment. So while there’s no set rule across the country, to be safe, bring an ID and some form or proof of employment just in case.
Can caretakers for the elderly get the vaccine?
In nearly every state, people who work with elderly in care facilities were given first priority for the vaccine. And for good reason. Older adults are at the greatest risk of becoming severely ill or dying from the virus.
But for those who care for the elderly in their homes, vaccine priority status in many states remains unclear. For example, in North Carolina people who do unpaid home health caretaking roles for older family members or friends appear to be left out of the vaccine plan, according to North Carolina Health News.
Without clearly defined protocols, those who work with the elderly in their homes for free or as an independent contractor should assume they’ll have to wait until April 19 when vaccines are open to everyone 18 and up.
What do you need to bring to your vaccine appointment?
None of the health departments Romper contacted indicated any specific documentation required to receive the vaccine other than a driver’s license. But as we mentioned before, you can never be too prepared. Bringing a receipt of payment or some other means to show where you work, isn’t a bad idea.
How long will the appointment take?
In at least the state of Virginia, vaccine appointments are being made in 10 minute increments. You show up, fill out some forms, get the vaccine, sit in an observation area for 15-30 minutes to see if you have any immediate reaction to the vaccine, and are on your way. Staff give patients a card with their vaccine information and instructions on when to return for dose two if receiving the Moderna or Pfizer shot. The Johnson & Johnson shot is administered just once.
How long will I wait before I can get my second shot?
This is another question that requires consulting your state information. In some places, for instance, Washington state, the Moderna vaccine is being given out within 4 weeks of each shot.
According to the Washington Post, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the recommended interval between doses is 4 weeks, however, if a patient misses their appointment, they can wait up to six weeks.
Your slated wait time will depend upon the clinic you visit.
Where can I find more information to answer my vaccine questions?
Of the 25 states Romper reached out to, each Health Department had a website landing page specifically with vaccine-related information. So our suggestion is to Google: “state name COVID vaccine information” to find more answers to your questions.
For more information, WebMD has put together a comprehensive list of every state’s COVID vaccine information pages, which you can find here.
This story will be updated as we gather more information.
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