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AUGUSTA, Maine – All Mainers aged 16 and over will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting Wednesday after Governor Janet Mills increased universal eligibility by nearly two weeks from a previous plan.
The decision to make younger Mainers eligible for the vaccine comes earlier as the virus has shown little sign of slowing down in Maine despite the accelerated rollout of vaccination, and appointments have been slower to complete as the supply was increasing. Vaccination sites can start accepting appointments for younger Mainers now, Mills said, though most aren’t Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday, Maine administered 435,700 first doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as well as more than 277,000 second doses and single injection vaccines from Johnson & Johnson. The state’s vaccine supply has increased significantly in recent weeks, with enough doses to cover 68,000 new patients this week. The state’s federal allowance increases again next week.
“While this is a big step forward, the people of Maine should keep in mind that even though they are eligible, it will still take time to get an appointment and get a vaccine,” Mills said.
State officials touted the vaccine Thursday as an important tool for Maine to fight the spread of coronavirus variants, which are likely a contributing factor to the continued spread of the virus in Maine even as 20% of people here are fully vaccinated. Three strains of the virus of concern have been detected in Maine.
“It’s a battle between vaccinations and variants, and we want to make sure the variants don’t spread,” Mills said.
Maine is expected to join two dozen states that have made adults aged 16 and over eligible or will be by next Wednesday, according to the New York Times. In Maine’s age-based system, about 80% of Mainers aged 70 and over received at least one dose, as did about two-thirds of people in their 60s. Among Mainers in their 50s – who became eligible for the vaccine just eight days ago – nearly 2 in 5 people have been vaccinated.
Despite those numbers, appointments have been slow to fill statewide over the past week. On Thursday morning, Northern Light Health – which saw limited appointments made in minutes earlier this year – had spots available next week at clinics in Bangor, Portland, South Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, Blue Hill, Almost Isle, Ellsworth and Fairfield.
Because Maine has also prioritized healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and child care providers, a fraction of people under 50 have already been vaccinated. But Thursday’s change still means more than 450,000 adults will become eligible next Wednesday, a significant volume that current sites in the state will not be able to accommodate immediately.
Only Pfizer vaccine is licensed for 16 and 17 year olds, while all three vaccines are licensed for people 18 years of age and older. Students attending university in Maine are eligible for state residency requirements, said Jeanne Lambrew, commissioner for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Providers are allowed to prioritize patients, including those with high-risk health conditions, officials said Thursday. Mills noted that the state plans to prioritize certain younger populations by channeling vaccines to oncology offices and dialysis centers, among other providers.
The expansion of eligibility will also allow Maine to immunize young people in prisons and prisons, which have been the site of several major outbreaks of the virus, although state officials were shown uncommitted on Thursday. schedule, saying they would continue to work with the Department of Corrections – which will receive 200 new first doses next week – and county jails.
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