Connecticut residents with certain medical conditions will be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccines Thursday when the state opens vaccinations to everyone ages 16 and older, Gov. Ned Lamont announced. 

Medical providers will now have more discretion when it comes to how they will handle prioritizing people on the list of pre-existing conditions. Doctors can do patient outreach or set aside specific appointments.

The conditions include Down syndrome, those getting cancer treatment or solid organ transplants and sickle cell disease. The list was crafted by the chief medical officers of the state's hospitals.

They were looking for conditions that were simple to identify and posed a clear risk of surviving a COVID-19 infection. Yale New Haven Health will contact people based on their medical records.

Officials say there is some flexibility - doctors can help make sure a patient who doesn't fall into one of those categories gets a vaccine appointment if they feel they are at high-risk.

In addition, overall participation rates of the younger age groups are expected to be lower, so the crunch for appointments may not be as problematic as it was with the older groups.

College students in Connecticut will also be given the shot before leaving their dorms for the summer.

Health officials say there will also be vaccine clinics at certain school districts in April and May.