Delaware expects a significant increase in its supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks as it loosens requirements to register for a shot.
All Delawareans over the age of 50 now qualify to sign up for vaccinations. It’s also open to all Delawareans over the age of 16 with preexisting health conditions as determined by medical professionals.
As of Tuesday afternoon about 7,500 Delawareans signed up to be vaccinated under the newly lowered age-limit. State officials say that is considerably less than the initial sign up for the 65 and older group.
Gov. John Carney says the White House COVID Task Force is assuring a larger shipment of both the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine and the others next week. He adds that amount will be sustained going forward, and Delaware is looking to continue its efficient throughput.
“We hear the question ‘why are you opening it up to 50 and older and to other groups’ and it’s really to maximize the output as that allocation of vaccine increases and I don’t want to get to the day where we’ve got vaccine leftover,” said Carney Tuesday.
Carney adds the state is far from that point right now, but there is still a way to go to get shots in arms. To date about 25 percent of Delaware’s overall population have received at least one shot of vaccine, including 72 percent of all seniors.
And Carney notes many healthcare providers are at or near their capacity for vaccine distribution and Dover International Speedway will only be available for large-scale vaccination events through mid-May.
“I just want to make sure we match our throughput with the allocation we’re getting from the federal government and we need to find partners who can move more than they’re moving now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Delaware Emergency Management Agency Director A.J. Schall says the state has seen an increase in no-shows at vaccinatoin events.
"We do know that people are, maybe, booking for a state event and finding something at their local community pharmacy, and we want to make sure we're as efficient as possible," said Schall.
Delaware is testing a walk-up clinic for vaccinations Wednesday in Wilmington with the goal of administering 250 vaccines and potentially expanding the program statewide.
It also was able to deliver and administer 250 doses using paratransit buses in Sussex County one day earlier this month, and is looking to expand that program as well.
As of Tuesday Delaware has administered more than 385,000 doses of vaccine and has more than 93,000 still remaining.
