Maine has continued to add new COVID-19 vaccination sites since it extended eligibility to older Mainers more than a month ago, now boasting more than 120 locations across the state.
New site openings will take place because Maine residents aged 60 and over will be eligible for vaccination starting on Wednesday. Nearly two-thirds of people aged 70 or older have already received at least one dose, according to state data.
After high interest in vaccines led to clogged phone lines and sluggish websites when Maine launched the vaccine for people aged 70 and over, the additional sites – and the increase in supply – should help Maine meet some of the new demand. However, not all of the approximately 175,000 Maine residents in their 60s awaiting vaccines will be able to obtain one immediately.
For eligible people looking for a vaccine, there are several places to check. More than half of Maine’s vaccine clinics are part of the federal retail pharmacy program, which sends vaccines to locations at Walmart, Walgreens and Sam’s Club. The rest is administered by healthcare providers, either in hospitals or on third-party websites. Most hospitals are vaccinating any member of the public who is eligible, but some are vaccinating only current patients.
Maine does not have a centralized vaccine scheduling system, so appointments should be made at individual hospitals or pharmacies. Walmart, Walgreens and Sam’s Club accept online appointments. Some hospitals, including Northern Light Health, which operates nearly a dozen sites, have online registration, while others, such as MaineHealth, ask people to call.
The list of vaccination posts is available on the state website. For residents of Maine who do not have access to the Internet or are struggling to make an appointment, health officials recommend calling 211 or the local Aging Agency to schedule assistance.
Most locations in Maine will offer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both requiring two injections, although some will begin administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose, this week.
State health officials recommended that Mainers take all available vaccines. Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines perform better in clinical trials in preventing COVID-19 cases, all three were universally effective in preventing serious illness and death.