Maine to expand vaccine admissions to residents 60 and older next week

Government Janet Mills said Friday that Maine will use an age-old strategy to vaccinate residents going forward and that it will be eligible for those between the ages of 60-69 next Wednesday.

It provides access to another 200,000 Mainers.

From there, Maine will be eligible for 50-year-olds and older in April, 40-year-olds in May and 30-year-olds in June. Those under the age of 30, including children who have been admitted as a vaccine, will be targeted in July and beyond

“During the pandemic, my main goal was to save lives and protect our most vulnerable people. A review of recent data by the Maine CDC indicates that age is a major predictor of whether someone will become seriously ill or more likely to die if they contract COVID-19, Mills said in a statement. “Considering this, coupled with the clarity, predictability and relative ease of implementation, I believe this approach is the best option to save lives and ensure that the vaccine can be administered to as many people as quickly and as efficiently as possible. word. “

Meanwhile, state health officials reported 178 new cases of COVID-19, but no new deaths Friday, as vaccination opportunities in Maine continue to expand.

More than 16 percent of Maine’s population – or 217,667 people – received at least one dose of vaccine, while 8.2 percent received both doses to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As Maine’s doses gradually grow and a third vaccine may be added to the mix next week, Mills may announce that she’s eligible for people under the age of 70.

Sandy Mait gave a vaccine to Mineta Scott of Eliot on Wednesday at the vaccination clinic at St Christopher’s Church in York. Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Although the number of newly reported infections varies daily, the overall rate has shown downward in recent weeks. The seven-day moving average of new cases rose to 155 on Friday, slightly higher than a daily average of 140 cases for the week ending February 18, but below 207 for the week ending February 11. 625 on January 15 amid a boom after the holidays.

The Maine CDC has detected 44,295 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 since the coronavirus was first detected in the state in March. A total of 701 individuals died in Maine after contracting COVID-19. Maine has consistently had one of the lowest infection and mortality rates in the country.

The number of Maine people admitted to the hospital Friday with COVID-19 was 68, including 23 in critical care and nine in a ventilator. That’s less than a third of the state’s high of 207 hospitalizations on Jan. 13.

The state’s current vaccination campaign focuses on individuals 70 years of age or older, a population demographic responsible for more than 85 percent of deaths among individuals with COVID-19 in the state. As of Friday morning, 61.5 percent of Maine’s approximately 193,000 residents age 70 or older received at least one dose of vaccine.

Government officials have suggested in recent weeks that admission to vaccines could increase if federal government supplies continue to rise. Vaccine shipments to the Maine CDC are expected to increase by more than 8 percent next week to a total of 30,080. In addition, the pharmacies Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walgreens in Maine are expected to receive 8,980 doses.

A panel of food and drug administration outside advisors will meet on Friday to review data on a single vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. If the panel, as expected, recommends approval, the FDA could already issue an emergency use authorization for the J&J vaccine this weekend, which could open the door next week for additional doses for Maine and other states.

Maine has the oldest population in the country as well as the majority of residents (21.2 percent) older than 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is estimated that 92,000 Maine residents fall into the eligible age group of 65 to 69 years.

But the demographics of Maine’s peak-heavy age, combined with the fact that federal vaccine shipments are based on the total population of states, means it will likely take longer before the state is vaccinated by the oldest residents at greatest risk for serious diseases. or death due to COVID-19. According to the latest data from the Maine CDC, approximately 74,000 of the 193,000 residents aged 70+ had not yet received their first dose of vaccine as of Friday morning, although it had dropped by thousands daily.

Meanwhile, two more volume vaccination clinics are expected to open in southern Maine next week – one at the Portland Expo run by Northern Light Health and one in Sanford run by MaineHealth. They will complement the massive vaccination centers currently operating at the former Scarborough Downs Racecourse and at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Northern Light Health officials said Friday morning that appointments are available for Tuesday and Thursday at the Portland Expo site, which is operated by Northern Light Mercy Hospital. Eligible individuals can register online for appointments at covid.n Northernlighthealth.org or by calling (207) 204-8551.

This story will be updated.

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