Cars continue to line up for the six-day mass vaccination event in Dover.
Delaware gave out about 1,500 second doses of COVID-19 vaccine Sunday at the clinic set up at the Dover International Speedway, and is expanding the list of those who can access shots there.
Officials say the operation is on pace to reach its goal of getting more than 18,000 needles into the arms of Delawareans - and is opening appointment slots Tuesday for people who received a first dose 35 or more days ago from a pharmacy, medical provider, clinic or other source in Delaware.
The Dover clinic was initially only for those who received first doses at Salesianum School, or the Dover, Delaware City or Georgetown DMVs.
“We’re really looking for those folks that have had a difficult time finding a place to get their second dose," said state Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. "We think that, for the most part, people who got their first dose at DMV events in January have already signed up, so we want to provide an opportunity for others who’ve had trouble finding their second dose.”
The newly available appointment slots for Thursday and Friday can be found starting at 11am Tuesday at the event's scheduling website or by calling 1-833-643-1715.
The operation is a coordinated effort between multiple state agencies and FEMA.
FEMA Coordinating Officer Timothy Pheil says it’s the first of its kind in the region.
“We’re using this site to provide best practices, after action reviews and any good techniques, tactics or procedures to make this effective,” said Pheil.
The start of the event was delayed one day by weather. Those same weather issues also delayed Delaware’s scheduled vaccine shipment of vaccine last week. Officials say that supply came in Monday.
But Gov. John Carney reiterated his plea for more vaccine from the federal government.
"When we first went into testing, we challenged outrselves to do 80,000 a month. The month over the holidays, the December - January month, we did 200,000," said Carney. "It's more time consuming, more deatiled in vaccinations for sure, but we could chalk up big numbers if we could get the supply."
Carney says it’s still not clear how long Delaware will delay the start of vaccinating the 1C group, which includes people with high risk medical conditions, people in high-risk group settings and other essential workers.
