AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine has a new pre-registration website on Tuesday, where residents of all ages can apply to be contacted when they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
But the state’s top health official warned that not all health care providers will use the new website. The state is still working to bring in providers and will provide additional information in the coming days. Some providers – including MaineHealth, the state’s largest hospital system with locations mainly in southern Maine – have their own pre-registration forms, while others do not currently pre-register.
Mainers in their 50s became eligible for the vaccine on Tuesday. About two-thirds of people aged 60 and older have received vaccines so far, said Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Teachers and childcare providers are also currently eligible, while all other Mainers of any age will be eligible on April 19. Eligible Mainers who have problems with Maine’s online system can also call 1-888-445-4111 for assistance.
The new website asks Maine residents to provide information about their age and county of residence and asks if they are not at home or if they will need special assistance with vaccinations. When people are eligible, they will receive a “personal access code” by email or text message, according to the website, which can be used to schedule a vaccine.
Shah said the site will not include all vaccine providers in Maine, but will “fill a gap” for sites that have chosen to do so. He said the state will provide additional information, including on vaccine locations using the platform, in the coming days.
“There will be more vaccination opportunities because there may be more types of clinics that open, so pre-registration is really focused only on those places,” said Shah.
As of Tuesday, more than 590,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in Maine, with 222,000 Mainers – about 16.5 percent of the state’s population – having received a complete vaccination schedule.