U.S. CDC Nearly Doubles Shipments of COVID-19 Vaccines to Pharmacies in Maine This Week

In Maine, COVID-19 vaccine doses will almost double through the federal retail pharmacy program this week, as eligibility for this program will extend from school staff to everyone aged 50 and over .

The 23,370 doses sent this week to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens and Hannaford pharmacies are far more than the typical 12,000 doses allocated in Maine as part of the program, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Starting Thursday, anyone eligible for a vaccine – currently those 50 and over – can get the vaccine at a retail pharmacy.

When combined with the 45,200 doses shipped this week through the state’s immunization program, Maine will receive a record 68,570 doses this week. This supply far exceeds the previous week’s high of 55,060 the week of March 1, which was the first week the Johnson & Johnson vaccine became available.

Vaccines shipped to retail pharmacies had been reserved for school staff, as part of a Biden administration initiative to get schools to open more fully.

Some schools in Maine are planning or have already announced plans for more in-person learning, including Falmouth, Windham, Freeport, Portland, Auburn and others. Some are reverting to five days a week of in-person learning, while others are upgrading to four days a week this spring. Most schools in Maine operate in a hybrid format, with two days of in-person learning and three days of online schooling.

Portland elementary and middle schools will be upgraded to four days a week after the April vacation.

Dr Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said in an interview on WGAN Newsradio this morning that he was “very supportive” of efforts by school districts to expand in-person learning this spring.

“I’m very much in favor of this initiative, this recent push to have more children attend school in person on a consistent basis. I think this is the right direction from a public health point of view, ”Shah said.

A parent group called BackTo5 is holding a rally at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday outside the Augusta Civic Center to lobby for more in-person learning in Maine schools.

Seniors aged 16 and over will become eligible for the vaccine on April 19, although that date may change depending on supplies from the federal government in the coming weeks and demand for the vaccine. Some states have already opened eligibility to all 16 and over, or will soon.

Maine administered at least one dose to 412,751 people, or 30.71 percent of the state’s 1.3 million people. In addition, 255,228 received their final dose, or 18.99 percent.

Of the 194,000 people aged 50 to 59 in Maine, 55,018 received at least their first dose. For those aged 60 and over, approximately 279,000 of the 394,000 in these age groups received at least their first dose.

Meanwhile, Maine reported 180 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. There were no additional deaths.

Since the start of the pandemic, Maine has recorded 50,030 positive cases of COVID-19 and 736 deaths.

A resident of Franklin County was the first in Maine to have the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, known as P1, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The Maine CDC also reported on Friday that it had detected 15 cases of B.1.1.7., First found in the UK and four cases of B.1.3.5.1., First discovered in Africa from South.

This story will be updated.

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