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Health officials were preparing to vaccinate around 5,000 EMS workers, police, firefighters, and home care and hospice workers through five regional pods this week. They ended up removing the registration links and canceling hundreds of appointments after finding out that people who were not eligible for this phase of the rollout had made appointments for the vaccinations, she said. declared. Health officials are working with the provider to make sure there are checkpoints so people can’t cheat the system.
“The demand for the vaccine is clearly high and people are willing to put others aside for the vaccine, along with their loved ones,” Mihalakos said at a remote press conference Tuesday. “We understand everyone’s concerns, and we understand that there are a lot of people on the front lines and that we have limited amounts of vaccine.”
Rhode Island received 46,000 doses of the vaccine on Tuesday and more than 26,000 people have been vaccinated, said Dr Philip Chan, an infectious disease expert with the Division of Preparedness, Response, Infectious Diseases and Medical Services. emergency department of the state health department. . There have been no reports that residents of Rhode Island were suffering from unwanted side effects from the vaccine, he said.
However, Rhode Island is receiving fewer doses of the vaccine than the roughly 17,000 per week it initially hoped for just a month ago, Chan said.
At this rate, “it will take a while to reach the whole state,” he said.
Tricia Washburn, head of the Department of Health’s Center for Preventive Services and co-leader of the vaccine task force, said the state could receive more weekly doses in two months. The federal government has purchased an additional 100 million doses and, with other possible vaccine candidates pending approval, Rhode Island and other states may get a boost, she said.
For now, however, simply vaccinating Rhode Islanders who are most at risk for COVID-19 is expected to take several months.
This week, the state continues to vaccinate hospital workers and patients at Eleanor Slater Hospital, medical staff and high-risk correctional officers, and inmates of adult correctional facilities, residents and staff of nursing homes and residents of Central Falls, the tiny town that has suffered the brunt of the pandemic.
Overall, health officials said, the vaccine is received with enthusiasm. In collective care facilities – prison and nursing homes – many are eager to get vaccinated, Mihalakos said.
In hospitals, Chan said, “there is a lot of excitement. People nibble a bit.
Amanda Milkovits can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMilkovits.
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