Augusta Fire Brigade Battalion Chief Steve Leach injects a dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe in late December at the Hartford Fire Department in Augusta. Joe Phelan / Kennebec Journal Buy this photo
Maine is likely to receive about 17,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine again next week, but the pace of delivery has not been fast enough to significantly expand immunization efforts, the state’s top public health official said on Wednesday.
Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention receives only about six days’ notice from the federal government about next week’s likely shipment size, said CDC state director Dr. Nirav Shah. The state is not informed of the amount of vaccine expected in subsequent weeks or months, which makes planning for the next phase of immunization ‘very, very difficult’, said Shah.
Maine reported 525 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. There were three additional deaths.
Shah said Maine would need to receive about 50,000 doses a week, instead of the 15,000 to 20,000 it has received, to avoid restricting the immunization program.
Federal Warp Speed Operation officials told the state it could receive an additional 100 doses of the Modern vaccine in addition to 17,075 other doses next week, Shah said. The state so far is receiving vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer.
To date, 38,065 Maine residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. But Maine residents, especially the elderly, wonder when it will be their turn during the next vaccination phase, which is due to begin in February.
“As much as I wish I could give everyone a place in line now, I am not able to do that,” said Shah. “At the moment, any statement I make will not be worth the paper it is written on.”
Maine is currently in the middle of vaccination for Phase 1A, which includes healthcare professionals, staff and residents of nursing homes and paramedics – a total of about 130,000 people. The next phase, 200,000 in Phase 1B, would include elderly people aged 75 and over and essential frontline workers, who will likely consist of teachers, police, grocery clerks and postal workers, among others.
Shah said the state could present a list of priorities within 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 phase of vaccination will take place, one reason the Maine authorities have failed to do so is that they need assurances that vaccine shipments will grow, Shah said.
“What a plan needs to have is more than just theory. It has to be based on reality, ”said Shah. “These plans (from other states) are just words on a page, with no promise behind them.”
However, said Shah, state officials are in discussions about Phase 1B and are expected to disclose 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 new daily cases stood at 513.9 on Wednesday, compared with 429.7 the previous week and 262.9 the previous month.
Currently, 191 people are hospitalized in Maine with COVID-19, with 54 in intensive care.
Also on Wednesday, the Central Maine Healthcare and Northern Light Health systems began administering second doses of the vaccine to frontline health workers who received the first doses three weeks ago. MaineHealth started giving booster doses on Monday.
About 50% of the Northern Light team members – 6,500 nurses, doctors and others – received at least a first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday, said Dr. James Jarvis, a senior executive doctor at Northern Light. Another 500 subcontractors and others working on the system also received the first dose.
Jarvis said that most Northern Light employees are “happy” to be vaccinated, especially amid the rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths. He said 10 to 15 percent of employees said they could not be vaccinated at this time, but very few refused vaccination.
Jarvis also noted an increase in the number of patients canceling appointments for regular medical care because they fear being exposed to the virus if they enter the Northern Light facility.
“It is safe to enter our facilities,” said Jarvis. “If you delay service, it can be harmful to your health.”
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