As vaccine eligibility grows, Conn. offers more locations
As vaccine appointments open to everyone 16 and over in Connecticut Thursday, state officials said more than 100 new pharmacies across the state will start administering the vaccine within the next several days.
With Connecticut officials estimating about half the 1.3 million people age 16 to 44 will rush out for the vaccine, the new pharmacy locations may ease efforts to find appointments as the state works to quickly vaccinate this new group.
“As we prepare to expand vaccine eligibility to the final group of adults on Thursday morning, there is going to be an initial rush of people who attempt to make appointments during the first couple of days, similar to what we experienced when we expanded to other age groups,” Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday.
Josh Geballe, Lamont’s chief operating officer, said Wednesday the state has asked providers to update their registration platforms no later than 8 a.m. Thursday as the wave of newly eligible people come online.
Lamont and Geballe urged people who are not initially successful to keep checking back for appointments as providers frequently update schedules.
This last phase of the program comes as Connecticut received about 240,000 first doses of the vaccine this week. It’s the most the state has received in a single week and a significant increase from previous weeks.
“We are confident we will be receiving enough vaccine over the next four weeks that everyone will be able to get vaccinated,” Geballe said, repeating an assurance that he and Lamont have been offering since the state sped up eligibility last week.
Geballe said the federal government has given early indications that next week’s supply of vaccines will “also be very strong.”
While the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply has lagged in recent weeks, Geballe said there was an increase in the
state’s allotment this week.
As state officials estimate about 600,000 people in the newly eligible group will immediately seek appointments, Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply is expected to quickly ramp up.
“We are going to see a significant increase in Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week,” Geballe said.
At Yale New Haven Health, one of the largest vaccine providers in Connecticut,
last week was a record for the amount of doses administered. But with 22,000 first doses received this week, officials said the record will be broken.
“And we still think we can continue to ramp that up if we get access to more vaccine,” said Dr. Tom Balcezak, YNHH’s chief clinical officer.
In addition to hospitals, community health organizations and local health departments, pharmacies, which receive an independent allotment from the federal government, have been a crucial part of the state’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations.
The new pharmacy vaccine locations announced Wednesday include nearly two dozen Rite Aid stores, and as well as ShopRite, Big Y and Price Chopper supermarkets. Smaller, locally run pharmacies are also among those that will start administering the vaccine.
The broad expansion and bump in supply comes as Connecticut is grappling with a recent uptick in infections. Quickly moving through this final age group is seen by state officials as a way to stave off any potential surge in new cases.
“With the recent increase in cases in Connecticut, it is crucial that everyone who wants a vaccine, gets one as quickly as possible,” Connecticut Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said.
On Wednesday, the state reported a daily positivity rate of 3.74 percent for new COVID-19 tests. Hospitalizations dropped by five net cases to a total of 513 statewide. The state reported a single death from COVID-19 for the first time since early September.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data showed Wednesday that Connecticut remains third in the nation for COVID-19 cases per capita over a seven-day period, behind New Jersey and Michigan.
“While general availability of vaccines is a cause for celebration, we must also remember to keep up our guard against the spread of COVID-19,” Gifford said. “Even after you are vaccinated, you should continue to wear masks, social distance, avoid large gatherings and test and isolate if you are sick.”
Connecticut officials touted this week that 41 percent of all people 16 and older had already received at least a first dose of the vaccine. That ranked Connecticut second in the nation for percentage of population to receive a dose, according to CDC data.
As of Monday, nearly 1.2 million first doses of the vaccine had been administered in Connecticut and a total of 684,400 people were fully vaccinated.
“Connecticut’s health care providers have been doing a tremendous job getting the vaccine to our residents, and the reason why our state is among the most vaccinated in the country is because of the remarkable work they have been doing,” Lamont said.