REGION — COVID -19 vaccination sites are seeing a significant decrease of people making appointments in Franklin and Androscoggin counties where over 65% of the population is either fully vaccinated or has received their first dose.
“New or first dose registrations are at a steep decline approximately 25 a day,” Franklin Memorial Hospital Communications and Public Affairs Spokesperson Jill Gray said in an email.
During the week of April 7 when Governor Janet Mills made the vaccine available to anyone 16 and older, FMH was at about 250 new, first dose registrations a day.
Hannaford Media Spokesperson Eric Bloom also reported a slow down in vaccine registrations, and Walmart in Farmington is now reaching out to people on its call waitlist.
FMH started walk-in appointments this week, Monday-Friday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and online appointments can still be reserved at https://vaccine.mainehealth.org/. The hospital is currently administering the Moderna vaccine which is available to anyone 18 and older. Proof of Maine residency is required to receive the vaccine at FMH.
“A Maine ID or driver’s license is fine, if you are a student a Maine college ID works and if you are a seasonal worker a pay stub or letter from employer works as well. If you don’t have a Maine ID but you do live here your current ID and a utility bill from your Maine residence with your name on it works fine,” Gray wrote.
Both the Walmart and Hannaford in Farmington are offering the Moderna vaccine and encouraging people to register online.
“At the Farmington store, we are offering the Moderna vaccine,” Courtney Paulson, Walmart global communications and corporate affairs spokesperson wrote in an email. “People can schedule an appointment by going to Walmart.com/covidvaccine. Customers do NOT have to show proof of Maine residency to receive their vaccine.”
Hannaford is requesting that people bring their state issued ID and insurance card to their appointments and to schedule online at https://hannafordsched.rxtouch.com/rbssched/program/covid19/Patient/Advisory.
Sites may now start administering the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine again after Maine instated an 11-day pause during which a committee reviewed blood clot cases associated with the J&J vaccine.
“Maine CDC is working with vaccine providers to support the administration of existing supplies of the J&J vaccine that have been held in storage since the pause. As soon as the U.S. CDC makes J&J vaccine available for ordering, the State will place additional orders. Following the pause on April 13, Maine acted swiftly to redirect doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to sites that had planned to administer the J&J vaccine when possible to keep vaccination appointments for Maine people,” a Maine.gov April 23 press release read.
As of April 26, 35.55% of Maine’s population is fully vaccinated and 45.23% have received their first dose. This is closely on par with Franklin County where 30.63% are fully vaccinated and 37.42% have received their first dose. In Androscoggin County, 38.29% are fully vaccinated and 28.76% have received their first dose.
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