DOVER, Del. (AP) – Public health officials have finalized recommendations for the second phase of the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Delaware.
The director of public health, dr. Karyl Rattay, said Tuesday that second-phase recipients will include essential workers and people 65 and older.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines essential workers at the forefront as first responders such as police and firefighters, school and child care staff, prison staff and workers in grocery stores, food and agriculture, manufacturing and public transport.
Rattay warned that not everyone in the groups will be vaccinated because exposure to risks must be considered. She noted, for example, that workers from poultry plants would be more difficult than farmers to follow the guidelines for social distance.
A state ethics advisory group voted last week to follow the committee’s recommendations to target essential workers and people aged 75 and over in the second round of vaccine distribution.
But the Division of Public Health has chosen to lower the allowable age in Phase 1B from 75 to 65, based on all COVID-related deaths. Officials noted that although the median age for deaths among whites and Asians is 82 and 83, respectively, the average age for deaths among blacks is 74 and 66 for Hispanics.
“If we were to go with 75, we would have a real stock issue,” Rattay said.
Vaccinations for the Phase 1B group are expected to begin at the end of January.
Meanwhile, officials said Tuesday that 8,422 people in Delaware had received the first dose of the vaccine. Officials expect to receive another 14,625 doses of Pfizer and 5,800 of Moderna this week.
Elsewhere, officials in neighboring Maryland reported a total of 36,669 vaccinations as of Wednesday morning, an increase of 8,052 from the previous day. More than half of the vaccinations took place in the metropolitan area of Baltimore. Officials said Maryland’s total federal vaccine grant from the federal government to date this week will include 140,300 doses of Modern vaccine and 133,575 doses of Pfizer vaccine.
Maryland officials did not say when the second phase of vaccine distribution in the state would begin, and explained that they are focused on vaccinating people in the first priority group, which includes leading health care workers, first responders and long-term staff. and residents.
Maryland officials also did not say whether they intend to follow the CDC committee’s recommendation to target people 75 years and older and essential workers in the second round. A Maryland Department of Health spokeswoman said Tuesday only that the second phase will include individuals “at a significantly higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease.”
As of Wednesday, Maryland officials reported 5,681 COVID-related deaths and 1,756 current hospitalizations.
Delaware officials reported 921 deaths and 425 current hospitalizations Tuesday night.