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Friday, March 26, 2021

No joke: Those 16 and older become eligible for vaccine on April 1 - Journal Inquirer

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It’s not an April Fool’s Day joke. Every adult in the state will have an opportunity to schedule an appointment to get the coronavirus vaccine beginning April 1 as supplies continue to increase, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday.

The move comes as Lamont once again accelerates access to the shot, which was initially moved up to April 5 for everyone in the state. Originally those 35 to 44 were to become eligible on April 22 and those 16 to 34 in early May.

The decision to speed up eligibility comes in response to 200,000 doses coming in next week and the demand among currently eligible groups beginning to flatten out, Lamont’s Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said Thursday.

With 1.3 million people newly eligible next week, Lamont said, “It’s going to be a rush at the gate,” but a continuous supply of vaccines will ensure that new appointments will continue to become available in the days and weeks that follow.

As with previous groups, Geballe said the administration continues to assume that about 60% of the newly eligible group will take advantage of the “initial rush,” and moving the schedule up is an attempt to get ahead of what is expected to be a lag in demand from those already eligible.

Some of those who will become eligible already have been vaccinated because they were part of previous groups, such as health care workers or educators, he said.

All told, Geballe said he expects roughly 600,000 people to choose to schedule appointments beginning April 1 and is confident providers can handle the influx, but he admitted that some residents may not be able to schedule an appointment immediately.

“As always, we’ll have to ask everybody to be a little patient at the beginning of a new phase,” he said. “We won’t have 600,000 appointments available on Day 1 … (but) we’ll be in a position in a relatively short period of time, probably before the end of April, where everyone in this state who wants to get a vaccine will have the ability to get one.”

The administration also is working with providers to prioritize those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, details of which are expected next week, Geballe said, adding that residents younger than 18 likely will be required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian when getting vaccinated.

With 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses expected to be shipped next week, Geballe said that pharmacies would also see “a significant increase” in their supplies coming from the federal government.

Meanwhile, Lamont announced the allocation of $58 million in federal funding to increase outreach to communities with low vaccination rates.

Of the total, $28 million is slated for grants for local health departments and community organizations, $24 million for door-to-door visits, outbound phone calls, and mobile clinics, and $6 million for technical assistance and support.

Lamont said the funding will provide resources to trusted community leaders, such as faith leaders and other advocates, along with mobile units, in an attempt to reach those who remain hesitant to get inoculated.

The allocations of federal funds are an attempt by the administration to reach communities, particularly minority communities, which continue to fall behind the rest of the state in terms of inoculation.

To date, the state has administered more than 1.68 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, covering 80% of all adults 75 years old or older.

So far, 38% of all adults older than 16 have already received at least one dose because they fell into a previously eligible category, according to the administration.

An additional 1,489 Connecticut residents tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total to more than 303,500, with 434 requiring hospitalization, a net increase of 22 from Wednesday. An additional 10 Connecticut residents died, bringing the total number of fatalities in the state linked to the virus to 7,862.

Of the more than 38,000 tests conducted Thursday, 3.88% came back positive.

Lamont said the positivity rate over seven days has been “creeping up” from 2.2% a week ago to 3.7% on Thursday, but he continued to say that the number of hospitalizations is a key metric as it is more of an indication of severe complications and fatalities.

Lamont’s decision to provide vaccines based on age is “making a difference in terms of saving lives, which is our No. 1 priority,” he said.

Opening vaccines to more people than recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has led to a steady decline in deaths in Connecticut, he said.

“The age-based system worked pretty well,” Lamont said.

While the median age of those contracting COVID-19 has declined because of vaccines, Kathleen Silard, president and chief executive officer of Stamford Health, stressed the importance of maintaining safety precautions, such as masks and social distancing.

“I’m always reminded when I walk through the ICU, this is not over and we have to stay vigilant,” she said.

The Link Lonk


March 26, 2021 at 08:10PM
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No joke: Those 16 and older become eligible for vaccine on April 1 - Journal Inquirer

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