State shifts focus to second shots

Delaware is shifting its focus this week to administering second shots to 3,800 people who received their first shots in January.

During his press conference Feb. 9, Gov. John Carney said the state initially focused on getting first shots to as many people as possible because of federal pressure.

“There was considerable pressure coming out of the White House Task Force meetings with not holding back supply for second doses and really getting as many first doses into people's arms as possible,” he said.

Federal officials also said Delaware wasn't vaccinating as many people as it should be, and warned that future vaccine shipments to the state were contingent on vaccinating more people.

“There was a real sense of urgency in the public, No.1, to move out of 1A and into 1B – the most vulnerable population age-wise and at the greatest risk,” Carney said. “We knew we'd be back around where we are today trying to deliver second doses with a supply that hasn't kept up with the need for first and second doses. The need to do those second doses ... will reduce the number of first doses that we can deliver to folks.”

For people who received a first shot at the Dover Division of Motor Vehicles Jan. 16-18, or at Salesianum School Jan. 18, officials said Curative will offer events Feb. 15-19 at Delaware Technical Community College campuses in Georgetown, Dover, and Wilmington. Registration will be done directly with Curative and individuals will be required to show proof of their first-dose vaccination date when they arrive on site. Only Moderna vaccines will be administered at the Curative/DTCC second-dose sites, officials said.

A second vaccination site will be set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency beginning Feb. 20 for several days at Dover International Speedway for people to receive their second shots. This will include people who received their first shots at the Delaware City DMV Jan. 22-24 or the Georgetown DMV Jan. 23-24. Individuals must show proof of their first-dose vaccination date. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available at these events. Scheduling has not been confirmed for these events; it is contingent on FEMA approval of the state’s request. More information is forthcoming. 

Delawareans who have lost their vaccination card should email their full name and date of birth to vaccine@delaware.gov. Those without email access should call DPH at 1-833-643-1715. Anyone who registers but cannot show proof they received their first dose during the January events will be turned away.

The Division of Public Health’s Community Health Services Section will partner with community organizations to deliver second doses to low-income seniors who received their first dose at Salesianum School on Jan. 18 and may have mobility challenges or other barriers preventing them from attending a large event. Those people will be reached through community organizations, officials said. 

As it becomes available, second-dose registration or scheduling information will be listed on de.gov/getmyvaccine and will be emailed to all eligible individuals the state has email addresses for. As of Feb. 8, Delaware and its partners had administered more than 126,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. Nearly 13 percent of Delaware's population has received the first shot. 

Delaware is currently in Phase 1B of its COVID-19 vaccination program, which includes Delawareans aged 65 and older, and certain frontline workers. Learn more at de.gov/covidvaccine.   

Due to limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine and the large number of Phase 1B-eligible Delawareans who have not been vaccinated, officials said they do not expect to open eligibility to all Phase 1C individuals on March 1, as the state had originally planned. DPH intends to begin vaccinating the most vulnerable, Phase 1C-eligible Delawareans as close to March 1 as possible, depending on vaccine supply. As of Feb. 9, the state’s vaccine webpage showed 11,985 doses left in its supply.

“Delivering second doses and first doses at the same time with limited supply of doses every week is a challenge, which is why we are targeting these Curative appointments and our partnership with FEMA to address individuals who received the first doses at our large events in January,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “As vaccine supply from the federal government increases, we expect it will become easier to receive first and second doses at pharmacies or from medical providers.”