AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced Thursday that the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is preparing to place another order for first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, for 22,475 people, to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed. This is an increase of 1,000 doses over the current week’s amount. This amount will also be supplemented by 4,800 doses that the federal government will supply directly to 24 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in Maine.
Maine CDC's order reflects the maximum number of doses available to Maine for new vaccines. Maine CDC's order, expected to arrive early next week, will comprise 8,775 doses from Pfizer and 13,700 doses from Moderna for the tenth week of distribution, starting Feb. 15. Of the Moderna allotment, 4,400 doses are being used as second doses for the first doses that arrived extra cold last month and were able to be safely and effectively used.
Combined with the previous orders, Maine expects to have enough to vaccinate approximately 199,475 people in the first ten weeks of distribution.
As of Feb. 11 (week nine), 215,892 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given to health care workers, long-term care residents, and older Mainers, including 155,872 people who have received first doses and 60,020 people who have received second doses.
The dashboard on Maine’s COVID-19 vaccination website shows that 11.6 percent of Maine residents have gotten their first doses. This includes 34 percent of Maine residents age 70 and older.
In the tenth week of distribution, the 22,475 first doses of vaccine will be sent to hospitals (16,100) outpatient groups (4,275), public safety (1,700), organizations helping to vaccine people in long-term care facilities not in the federal retail pharmacy program (300), and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Health and Wellness Center (100), according to Maine DHHS. Maine has stopped sending additional vaccine to the retail pharmacy program operated by the U.S. CDC, as it has sufficient vaccine doses at this time. As of Feb. 10, 20,226 first doses have been administered to the roughly 26,000 residents and staff eligible for vaccination in Maine’s long-term care facilities participating in the program.
"Next week, with the set aside for second Moderna doses, it will be especially important to ensure that every dose of COVID-19 vaccine is used efficiently and equitably," DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said. "We thank those on the front lines of administering vaccines for their hard work as we strive to get shots into the arms of all Maine residents."
"The latest allotment allows us to continue our work to quickly and fairly vaccinate Maine residents most at risk of suffering and dying from COVID-19," Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said. “But it also reminds us that we still have a long road ahead on vaccination, so the best things we can all do to limit potential spread of the virus, including new variants, are to wear properly fitted masks, to stay at least 6 feet apart, to wash hands frequently, and to avoid crowds.”
Maine is completing Phase 1a and starting Phase 1b under its vaccine strategy. Phase 1a includes patient-facing health care personnel, emergency service personnel such as police and firefighters, and people who support infrastructure critical to Maine’s COVID-19 response as determined by the Maine CDC. Phase 1b includes older Maine residents, beginning with those 70 and older; followed by people ages 65 to 69. Additional information on others in Phase 1b, Phase 1c, and Phase 2 will be released as more information becomes available on the vaccine supply and pace of vaccination in Maine.
Next week’s distribution will continue to focus on people ages 70 and older, including those in rural Maine who face challenges getting a vaccine. If current progress continues, people age 65 to 69 will become eligible for vaccination in early March, according to Maine DHHS. Maine has about 92,000 people in this age group. As with previous phases, there will be overlap between groups to ensure every dose the state receives is used to protect the health of Maine people.
The Maine CDC and DHHS say maintaining a focus on older residents remains critical to saving lives. Additional information on vaccination for people age 70 and older in Maine is available at Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine website.
Maine DHHS said the State is committed to vaccinating with equity at high velocity and not wasting any doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. This means that some individuals are vaccinated before others and not always precisely in the order of the Phases in the Maine vaccine plan. That said, the work will not stop until every resident in Maine who wants and needs a vaccine gets one, according to Maine DHHS.