COVID-19 vaccine shipments too low to support expansion, state says

Maine will likely receive around 17,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine again next week, but the pace of deliveries has not been fast enough to significantly expand vaccination efforts, the top public health official said on Wednesday. the state.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is only getting six days of notice from the federal government regarding the likely size of next week’s expedition, state CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah said. . The state is not told how much vaccine to expect in the following weeks or months, making planning for the next round of immunization “very, very difficult,” Shah said.

Maine reported 525 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. There were three more deaths.

Shah said Maine would need to receive about 50,000 doses per week, instead of the 15,000 to 20,000 it receives, to avoid limiting the vaccination schedule.

Federal Operation Warp Speed ​​officials have told the state it may receive an additional 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine in addition to the other 17,075 doses next week, Shah said. So far, the state is receiving vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer.

So far, 38,065 Mainers have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. But Maine residents, especially the elderly, are wondering when it will be their turn for the next round of vaccination, which is expected to begin in February.

“As much as I wish I could give everyone their place in the line now, I am not in a position to do that,” Shah said. “Right now, not all the statements I make are worth the paper they’re written on.”

Maine is currently in the process of vaccinating for Phase 1A, which includes healthcare workers, nursing home staff and residents, and paramedics – a total of about 130,000 people. The next phase, 200,000 in Phase 1B, would include people aged 75 and over and essential frontline workers, which will likely include teachers, police officers, grocery clerks and postal workers, among others.

Shah said the state may come up with a priority list in Phase 1B, giving the vaccine first to those most vulnerable to contracting or transmitting the virus.

While other states have offered more details on how the second round of immunization will go, one of the reasons officials in Maine haven’t done so is that they need the insurance. that vaccine shipments will increase, Shah said.

“What a plan should have is more than just theory. It has to be based on reality, ”Shah said. “These plans (from other states) are just words on a page with no promises behind them.”

Nonetheless, Shah said, state officials are in discussions on Phase 1B and are expected to release the plan in the coming weeks.

Overall, Maine has recorded 27,090 cases of COVID-19 and 372 deaths since the pandemic began in March. The seven-day average of daily new cases was 513.9 on Wednesday, up from 429.7 a week ago and 262.9 a month ago.

Currently, 191 people are hospitalized in Maine with COVID-19, including 54 in intensive care.

Also on Wednesday, the Central Maine Healthcare and Northern Light Health systems began delivering second doses of the vaccine to frontline medical workers who received the first doses three weeks ago. MaineHealth began giving booster doses on Monday.

About 50 percent of Northern Light’s staff – 6,500 nurses, doctors and others – had received at least a first dose of the vaccine by Wednesday, said Dr James Jarvis, Northern Light’s chief medical officer. 500 additional contractors and others working in the system also received a first dose.

Jarvis said most Northern Light employees were “happy” to be vaccinated, especially amid the increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths. He said 10-15% of staff said they could not be vaccinated at the moment, but very few refused to be vaccinated at all.

Jarvis has also noted an increase in the number of patients canceling appointments for regular medical care because they fear exposure to the virus if they enter Northern Light’s facilities.

“It is safe to enter our facilities,” Jarvis said. “If you delay treatment, it could be harmful to your health.”

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