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Starting Thursday, anyone 16 and older can register for an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine in Connecticut. Governor Ned Lamont said the state expects to see 100,000 new appointments filled by the end of the day.
Registration for those aged 16 to 44 began at 8 a.m. People quickly reported that the vaccine slots were filling up and that it was difficult to find them through a number of providers.
“As is always the case when we enter a new phase, there will be a lot more people looking for appointments than doses that we receive this week, we ask everyone to be patient”, said Josh Geballe, chief operating officer of Connecticut.
As with previous expansions of state eligibility, vaccines are offered by appointment only. And heads of state warn that not everyone who becomes eligible will find a date on day one.
Persons aged 16 and 17 can only register for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The vaccines developed by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have only been approved for those 18 and over.
Residents and workers can find a nearby vaccination site and make an appointment through the state portal or by calling 877-918-2224.
You don’t know how to make an appointment? Read our guide with common questions.
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Here are the latest updates
4:05 p.m. – Angel Hwang, chairman of the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group, praised Lamont for his leadership during the pandemic. She said the company’s Groton research and development site plays a crucial role in making the lipids needed to produce the vaccine.
Hwang said Pfizer is looking at the duration of immunity after a person receives the vaccine they developed with BioNTech, as well as other age groups who may receive the two-dose inoculation.
She pointed to data published by the company showing the vaccine to be 100% effective in a study involving adolescents and showing that it was 100% effective against a variant that first appeared in South Africa.
4:00 p.m. – Governor Ned Lamont said during his afternoon pandemic briefing that the state expects vaccine supply to exceed demand by the end of April. The governor also said that 81% of Connecticut residents over the age of 65 had had a chance to get the vaccine.
Lamont also pointed out that the state occupies a high place in the number of cases per capita, but low for the number of deaths per capita, as proof that the vaccination plan of the “most at risk” – that is – ie the older residents – has paid off.
The governor said the state made 100,000 nominations on the day the new eligibility opened.
“I know a lot of you were there at 12:01 in the morning pressing that refresh button. Be a little patient, ”he says.
1:45 p.m. – Dr Ohm Deshpande, assistant clinical director at Yale New Haven Health, said “there was an onslaught” of people seeking appointments when the system opened early Thursday and 15,000 appointments were scheduled. in a few hours”.
11am – The State Department of Public Health confirmed that the vaccine access hotline was suspended for about an hour Thursday morning. A spokesperson said incoming calls had already stopped by that time because schedules were already full. The shutdown put a pause on the hotline’s ability to call back.
10:33 a.m. – Lamont said Thursday morning that the 100,000 appointments would take place during the day. “Hope is on the way,” Lamont said, noting that the state has a good supply of vaccines and more to come.
9:50 a.m. – With appointments filling up quickly statewide, officials at Community Health Center Inc., which operates mass vaccination sites in a number of locations, including East Hartford and Danbury, said Thursday that d Other appointments would become available and people would have to be “persistent and patient” when looking for a location.
8:00 a.m. – In a social media post, Lamont warned there would be a rush for limited dates. “Our supplies are increasing. We will offer it to anyone who wants it over the next few weeks, ”said Mr. Lamont.
7:50 a.m. – Yale New Haven Health said it was seeing increased traffic to its external websites and directing vaccine seekers to its main website to get an appointment.
6.30 a.m. – The CVS Pharmacy website says all Connecticut appointments are full statewide. Walgreens Pharmacy did not show any appointments available in much of the state. State officials said unlike other sites, pharmacies typically book appointments for a week.
6:20 a.m. – The VAMS website does not show any first dose appointments available within a 100 mile radius of Danbury, Bridgeport, Norwalk, New Haven or Hartford as of Thursday morning. While some clinics on the VAMS site have indicated appointments available this morning for later this month – April 20 and April 26 at a location in Middletown and Waterbury, respectively – once a date is chosen, the site said that there were no appointments available.
6 h – Some people in the new eligible group were able to get appointments shortly after midnight. State officials said providers were urged to open their systems to people aged 16 to 44 on Thursday at 8 a.m., adding that some may have chosen to open earlier. Officials said VAMS and the vaccine appointment helpline will not open until 8 a.m.
Lamont: CT on track for deployment 16 years and over
Governor Ned Lamont said Wednesday afternoon the state was on track to open up vaccines to all people 16 and older.
“As we prepare to expand vaccine eligibility to the last group of adults on Thursday morning, there is going to be an initial wave of people trying to make appointments in the first two days, similar to what we have known when we have extended to others. age groups, ”Lamont said in a statement.
He also announced Wednesday that 104 more pharmacies will begin administering doses statewide over the “next few days.”
The governor urged patience and reminded people to check for new appointments added every day. The state expects those in the newly eligible group who want the vaccine – estimated at around 600,000 people – to be able to schedule a first dose in the following month.
With the increase in cases, acting Department of Public Health commissioner Dr Deidre Gifford said it was “crucial” that those who want a vaccine get one.
“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we are now able to deliver the vaccine to all adults months earlier than expected,” Gifford said in a statement. “While the general availability of vaccines is cause for celebration, we also need to remember to keep our guards against the spread of COVID-19. Even after being vaccinated, you should continue to wear masks, stay away socially, avoid large gatherings, and test and isolate if you are sick. “
DPH: wrong batch of J&J vaccine will not affect TC
Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday evening that a batch of doses had failed to pass quality checks and could not be used. The company said an ingredient produced by another company did not meet quality control.
Maura Fitzgerald, spokesperson for the State Department of Public Health, said Connecticut officials were aware of the problem and had been in contact with federal officials. She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed Connecticut will receive its full shipment of single-dose vaccine next week.
“We do not anticipate any interruptions or delays in opening (Thursday) the vaccination program to all Connecticut residents over the age of 16. No dose of J&J that we will or will have received has been affected by this incident. “Fitzgerald said in a statement.
She said no doses have been or will be shipped from the affected facility, “so people should remain confident in the safety of the J&J vaccines being administered in Connecticut.” We await further information and advice from the White House and CDC (Thursday). “
Justice Department warns of scams in vaccine surveys
Justice Department officials are warning residents to beware of fraudsters presenting post-vaccine surveys.
“Consumers receive the surveys via email and text, and are told that as a freebie for completing the survey, they can choose from a variety of free prizes, such as an iPad Pro. The messages claim that consumers only need to pay shipping and handling charges to receive their award, ”officials said in a statement. “Victims provide their credit card information and are billed for shipping and handling charges, but never receive the promised price.”
To report messages containing a link to a post-vaccination survey or contact information, call 866-720-5721 or file a complaint.
Pfizer vaccine shows promise in adolescent trial
A trial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with adolescents showed that the injections had a 100% effectiveness rate for people aged 12 to 15 years. Experts say this could pave the way for schools to fully reopen.
But Connecticut school and public health officials have yet to commit to requiring students to be vaccinated. During this time, the vaccine is also being tested on young children.
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