Partnership with Vault will reach low-income, underserved Delaware seniors; Curative also to begin 65+ vaccinations

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) announced an expansion on Monday of the State of Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

• DPH will partner this week with Vault Health and community organizations to begin expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine among low-income, underserved seniors. Vault will operate a vaccination event targeted toward that population on Tuesday at Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington. The State of Delaware extended invitations to this event through organizations including the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, the Latin American Community Center, Reach Riverside, and the Delaware Legislative Black Caucus. The event is already at capacity and no one without an appointment will be vaccinated. 
• DEMA and DPH will partner with Curative – another COVID-19 testing partner – to begin vaccination events for 65 and older Delawareans who have registered on the waiting list at vaccinerequest.delaware.gov. The first Curative events will be held this week in Dover, and DPH is inviting high-risk Delawareans 65 and older who have registered through the waiting list for those appointments. These initial Curative events are expected to vaccinate 750 this week. 
• Planning is underway for another DPH large vaccination event this coming weekend, which will also serve at least 2,000 Delaware seniors from the waiting list by appointment only. Information will be sent for that event to seniors on the waiting list. Delawareans 65 and older can still register on the waiting list. Delawareans without computer access can call the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-643-1715, and a call center operator will assist them with making the initial request.  
• The State of Delaware expects to increase allocations of the vaccine to certain pharmacies and health care providers that have enrolled in the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Enrolled pharmacies and providers, including Delaware’s hospital systems and certain specialty care providers, are vaccinating Delawareans age 65 and older. Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Aspira Health, and the Camden Pharmacy also are now providing vaccinations to 65 and older clients with an appointment, with allocations from the State of Delaware. Learn more at de.gov/covidvaccine.
• The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) will begin vaccination pre-registration for educators and school staff on Tuesday, January 26, for vaccination events. These vaccination events will only be open to those who work in public and private K-12 schools as well as district early childhood education centers. Child care provider vaccination events are being planned in early February. DDOE is following a staged roll-out that includes drive-thru clinics, on-site vaccination events at schools, and partnerships with Acme/Safeway Pharmacies. Additional information and regular updates will be posted to DDOE’s COVID-19 vaccination site: de.gov/k12vaccine

Due to limited vaccine supply, the state’s efforts will focus primarily on administering first doses to eligible individuals. As supply allows, the state will prioritize second doses for 1A individuals at greatest risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“Thousands more Delawareans received access to a life-saving vaccine this weekend – thanks to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, DelDOT workers, and our teams at DPH and DEMA. I couldn’t be more grateful for their hard work and the hard work of all of our partners,” said Governor Carney. “Our new vaccination partnerships with Vault and Curative will help us vaccinate even more Delawareans, including many of our most vulnerable neighbors. We’ll continue to press forward with the goal of vaccinating as many Delawareans as quickly as possible as the vaccination supply allows.”  

“We know that to reach all of the current and future phases in our vaccination effort, we have to have multiple opportunities and approaches, and we have been planning for that,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of DPH. “There will be no one right way to get your COVID vaccine, and we are building new access points to serve eligible Delawareans now and in the future.” 

More than 21,000 Delawareans aged 65 or older as well as Phase 1A health care workers received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during DPH and partner vaccination events the last two weekends in Dover, Wilmington, Delaware City and Georgetown.   

Anyone with a question about COVID-19 should call Delaware 2-1-1. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

Delawareans over the age of 18 are encouraged to download COVID Alert DE, Delaware’s free COVID exposure notification app. Download on the AppStore or Google Play. 

Report a business for COVID-19 non-compliance using this form.  

The Division of Public Health will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus. 

Learn more about the State of Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination program at de.gov/covidvaccine.  

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La Inscripción para la nueva Lista de Vacunas de DE se abrirá el Miércoles

WILMINGTON, Del. – El Gobernador John Carney y la División de Salud Pública de Delaware (DPH) anunciaron el martes 19 de enero que el estado pasará a la Fase 1B en su plan de vacunación COVID-19 a partir de hoy, con un enfoque en las personas de 65 años en adelante .

Más de 200,000 habitantes de Delaware califican para la vacunación en esta fase, y esta semana comenzarán múltiples opciones para que los residentes se vacunen y luego se expandirán en las próximas semanas, incluidos grandes eventos de vacunación con un nuevo sistema de solicitud de citas.

AVISO A LOS MEDIOS: El Gobernador Carney y la Dra. Karyl Rattay realizarán una actualización de COVID-19 y una sesión de preguntas y respuestas públicas sobre el lanzamiento de la vacuna Fase 1B ESTA NOCHE, 19 de enero a las 7:00 p.m. Los habitantes de Delaware pueden enviar preguntas a townhall@delaware.gov. Las preguntas y respuestas se transmitirán en facebook.com/johncarneyde and livestream.com/stateofdelaware. 

Como una de las muchas opciones en las próximas semanas, la Division de Salud Publica, las agencias de servicios médicos de emergencia del condado, el Cuerpo de Reserva Médica de Delaware y los hospitales asociados, incluido Beebe Healthcare, han programado cinco eventos de vacunación para personas mayores de 65 años, así como para el personal restante de la Fase 1A. , el viernes 22 de enero en la División de Vehículos Motorizados de la ciudad de Delaware y el sábado y domingo 23 y 24 de enero, en las ubicaciones del DMV de la ciudad de Delaware y Georgetown.

Estos eventos de vacunación son solo con cita previa. Los residentes de Delaware que tienen 65 años o más pueden registrarse en vaccinerequest.delaware.gov. Las inscripciones se abrirán a las 8:30 a.m. del miércoles 20 de enero.

“Estamos comprometidos a proteger a los habitantes de Delaware más vulnerables del COVID-19”, dijo el Gobernador Carney.” Nuestro objetivo es vacunar a la mayor cantidad de habitantes de Delaware de la manera más rápida y segura posible. Así es como venceremos este virus, volveremos a la normalidad y lo reconstruiremos. La realidad es que tomará algo de tiempo y paciencia, así que mientras tanto, hagamos lo que funcione. Usar una máscara. Lávese las manos. Evite las reuniones. Manténgase vigilante.”

“Estamos entusiasmados de poder pasar a esta próxima fase de vacunación de los habitantes de Delaware, pero debemos pedir paciencia ya que todos en este grupo simplemente no pueden vacunarse en cuestión de días”, dijo la Dra. Karyl Rattay, Directora de la División de Salud Pública de Delaware. “Con recursos limitados, habrá algo de atención dentro de la Fase 1B basada en los factores de riesgo que conocemos, y la atención se centrará, especialmente en los primeros grandes eventos de vacunación, en los mayores de 65 años. Esperamos ampliar nuestras opciones de vacunas en las próximas semanas para brindar a las personas en todo el estado múltiples opciones de vacunación contra COVID-19, como ahora tienen para las pruebas de COVID-19 o las vacunas contra la gripe “.

La Fase 1B incluye a todas las personas de 65 años o más, y trabajadores esenciales de primera línea, incluidos: bomberos, policía, funcionarios penitenciarios, maestros y personal educativo (incluidos los proveedores de cuidado infantil), trabajadores postales de EE. UU., Trabajadores de fabricación de alimentos, agricultura, transporte y supermercados.

También se continuarán los esfuerzos para vacunar al personal de atención médica de la Fase 1A y a los residentes y al personal de los hogares de ancianos que aún no se han vacunado.

Con las dosis de vacunación limitadas disponibles por parte del gobierno federal, los funcionarios advierten enfáticamente que podrían pasar semanas o meses para que se vacunen las 200,000 personas elegibles para la Fase 1B. Las múltiples opciones disponibles incluirán las siguientes.

Educadores K-12:

Esta semana, el Departamento de Educación anunciará opciones de vacunación específicamente para educadores y personal escolar. El Departamento se está asociando con las farmacias de Acme/Safeway para organizar eventos de vacunación para educadores en varios sitios escolares en todo el estado y para permitir que los educadores se vacunen en las farmacias de Acme/Safeway. Estas opciones estarán disponibles la semana del 25 de enero.

Trabajadores de cuidado infantil:

La Oficina de Licencias de Cuidado Infantil del Departamento de Educación proporcionará opciones de vacunación específicamente para trabajadores de cuidado infantil. Este modelo se parecerá mucho a los educadores K-12 y al personal escolar y se lanzará la semana del 25 de enero.

Oficiales penitenciarios:

El Departamento de Corrección comenzó a recibir vacunas a principios de este mes. A los oficiales que realizan funciones 1A se les ha ofrecido la oportunidad de vacunarse, al igual que a un pequeño número de presos y oficiales mayores de 65 años con condiciones médicas graves. El DOC continuará recibiendo la vacuna según lo permita el suministro y continuará vacunando a los presos y oficiales en orden según la edad y el estado de salud.

Otros trabajadores esenciales de primera línea:

La planificación de la vacunación para los trabajadores esenciales de primera línea elegibles está en marcha y es una asociación entre el DPH y la División de Pequeñas Empresas. La División de Pequeñas Empresas publicará información en los próximos días que ayudará a los empleadores que quieran organizar sus propios eventos de vacunación para sus empleados o que quieran ayudar a sus empleados a aprender dónde vacunarse. Mientras tanto, las preguntas de los empleadores de primera línea sobre el proceso de vacunación pueden dirigirse a la División de Pequeñas Empresas en Covid19faq@delaware.gov.

Farmacias:

A partir de la semana del 25 de enero, estará disponible una lista de farmacias que reciben citas para la vacuna COVID-19 en de.gov/covidvaccine. La lista aumentará a medida que las farmacias adicionales reciban dosis. Se espera que las farmacias sean una opción principal para las vacunas a medida que haya más vacunas disponibles, pero al igual que con otros métodos, tendrán dosis limitadas en la primera parte del esfuerzo. Se les pide a las farmacias que limiten sus esfuerzos en sus tiendas en este momento a las personas de Fase 1A y Fase 1B de 65 años o más.

Proveedores de atención primaria:

Habrá vacunas disponibles para los mayores de 65 años de algunos proveedores de atención primaria y de atención especializada, como consultorios médicos, sitios de atención de urgencia y para pacientes de centros de salud calificados federalmente. Algunos proveedores se comunicarán con sus propios pacientes para ofrecerles citas de vacunación y otros pueden invitar al público a solicitar citas. Los proveedores médicos que deseen vacunar a las personas deben inscribirse en el sistema de inmunización del estado a través de un proceso separado. Puede encontrar información e instrucciones en la página de proveedores médicos de de.gov/covidvaccine.

Eventos de vacunación contra el DPH:

El DPH y sus socios han programado cinco eventos de vacunación para personas mayores de 65 años, así como para el personal restante de la Fase 1A, el 22 de enero en la División de Vehículos Motorizados (DMV) de la ciudad de Delaware, y el 23 de enero y 24, en las ubicaciones del DMV de la ciudad de Delaware y Georgetown. Estos eventos de vacunación son solo con cita previa. El DMV de la ciudad de Delaware cerrará al mediodía del viernes para acomodar el evento de vacunación.

El sistema de registro actualmente para los habitantes de Delaware de 65 años o más tendrá los siguientes pasos: (1) Una persona solicitará una cita en de.gov/covidvaccine que los pondrá en una lista de espera y (2) cuando las citas estén disponibles, correos electrónicos de invitación se enviará a las personas para programar una cita en línea para un próximo evento. Estas invitaciones serán únicas y no se pueden compartir. Se recomienda a las personas mayores con acceso a computadoras que soliciten una cita a través de este sistema en línea, que estará disponible en inglés, español y criollo haitiano. Para las personas de la tercera edad sin acceso a una computadora únicamente, se anunciará una línea telefónica el miércoles para atender solicitudes de citas y, a medida que haya espacios disponibles, para ayudar a completar el proceso de citas.

El DPH espera más solicitudes de citas para eventos de vacunación que dosis y espacios disponibles para el primer fin de semana y el futuro previsible. El envío de invitaciones para programar citas se realizará según la edad, la afección médica y otros factores de riesgo. Los residentes de Delaware de 65 años o más que soliciten una cita pero no reciban inmediatamente un correo electrónico de invitación continuarán en la lista de espera para recibir una invitación para futuros eventos de vacunación. Varias solicitudes no aumentarán la posibilidad de recibir una invitación para una cita.

Cualquier persona que llegue sin una cita para los eventos de este fin de semana no debe esperar ser vacunada. En las próximas semanas, se espera que se pongan en línea lugares adicionales de vacunación a gran escala para vacunar a las personas de la Fase 1B y a los grupos de la fase futura. A medida que el estado avanza y supera la Fase 1B, el sistema de citas se utilizará para las personas en las fases futuras.

Se recuerda a las personas que reciben citas para eventos de vacunación que se vistan con ropa adecuada para que la parte superior del brazo pueda quedar expuesta, lo que incluye no salir del vehículo en un evento de conducción para quitarse el abrigo o la camisa. Además, si alguien ha recibido recientemente una vacuna contra la gripe, el herpes zóster u otra vacuna, no puede recibir la vacuna COVID-19 dentro de los 14 días posteriores a la vacunación anterior.

 

Como recordatorio, tanto antes como después de recibir una vacuna, las personas deben seguir cubriéndose la cara, la distancia social, evitar ser anfitrión o asistir a grandes reuniones y lavarse y desinfectarse las manos con frecuencia.

Cualquier persona que tenga una pregunta sobre COVID-19, ya sea relacionada con necesidades médicas o de servicios sociales, debe llamar a Delaware 2-1-1. Las personas sordas o con problemas de audición pueden enviar un mensaje de texto con su código postal al 898-211. El horario de atención es de 8 a.m. a 9 p.m. De lunes a viernes; 9 a.m. a 5 p.m. Sábado y domingo.  

Descargue COVID Alert DE en la App Store o Google Play.   

Reporte una empresa por incumplimiento de COVID-19 utilizando este formulario.  

El DPH continuará actualizando al público a medida que haya más información disponible. Para conocer las últimas noticias sobre la respuesta de Delaware, visite de.gov/coronavirus.

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Registration for new DE Vaccine Roster to open Wednesday

WILMINGTON, Del. — Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced Tuesday, January 19, that the state will transition to Phase 1B in its COVID-19 vaccination plan starting today, with a focus on persons 65 and up.

More than 200,000 Delawareans qualify for vaccination in this phase, and multiple options for residents to be vaccinated will begin this week and then expand in coming weeks, including large vaccination events with a new appointment request system.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor Carney and Dr. Karyl Rattay will hold a COVID-19 Update and Public Q&A on Phase 1B vaccine rollout TONIGHT, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. Delawareans can submit questions to townhall@delaware.gov. The Q&A will be streamed on facebook.com/johncarneyde and livestream.com/stateofdelaware.

As one of many options in coming weeks, DPH, county EMS agencies, the Delaware Medical Reserve Corps, and hospital partners including Beebe Healthcare, have scheduled five drive-through vaccination events for persons 65 and older, as well as for remaining Phase 1A personnel, on Friday, January 22 at the Delaware City Division of Motor Vehicles and on Saturday and Sunday, January 23 and 24, at both the Delaware City and Georgetown DMV locations.

These vaccination events are by appointment only. Delawareans who are 65 or older can register at de.gov/covidvaccine. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 20.

“We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable Delawareans from COVID-19,” said Governor Carney. “Our goal is to get as many Delawareans vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible. That’s how we’ll beat this virus, get back to normal, and rebuild. The reality is that will take some time and some patience, so in the meantime, let’s do what works. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Avoid gatherings. Stay vigilant.”

“We are excited to be able to move into this next phase of vaccinating Delawareans but must ask for patience as everyone in this group simply cannot be vaccinated in a matter of days,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. “With limited resources, there will be some attention within Phase 1B based on the risk factors we know, and the focus will be – especially in the first large vaccination events – on those 65 and over. We are looking forward to growing our vaccine options in the coming weeks to give people statewide multiple options for COVID-19 vaccination, as they now have for COVID-19 testing or flu shots.”

Phase 1B includes all individuals 65 and over, and frontline essential workers including: fire, police, correctional officers, teachers and education staff (including child care providers), U.S. postal workers, food manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and grocery store workers. Efforts will also continue to vaccinate Phase 1A health care personnel and nursing home residents and staff who have not yet been vaccinated.

With limited vaccination doses available from the federal government, officials strongly caution that it could take weeks or months for all 200,000 Phase 1B eligible individuals to be vaccinated. The multiple options available will include the following.

K-12 educators: This week, the Department of Education will be announcing vaccination options specifically for educators and school staff. The Department is partnering with Acme/Safeway pharmacies to host vaccination events for educators at multiple school sites throughout the state, and to allow educators to be vaccinated at Acme/Safeway pharmacy locations. These options will become available the week of January 25.

Child care workers: The Department of Education’s Office of Child Care Licensing will be providing vaccination options specifically for child care workers. This model will closely resemble the K-12 educators and school staff and will be released the week of January 25.

Correctional officers: The Department of Correction began receiving vaccine earlier this month. Officers performing 1A functions have been offered the opportunity to get vaccinated, as have a small number of inmates and officers over the age of 65 with serious medical conditions. DOC will continue receiving vaccine as supply allows and will continue vaccinating inmates and officers in order based on age and health condition.

Other frontline essential workers: Vaccination planning for eligible frontline essential workers is underway and is a partnership between DPH and the Division of Small Business. The Division of Small Business will release information in the coming days that will assist employers who want to host their own vaccination events for their employees or who want to help their employees learn where to get vaccinated. In the meantime, questions from frontline employers about the vaccination process can be directed to the Division of Small Business at Covid19faq@delaware.gov.

Pharmacies: A list of pharmacies taking COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be available at de.gov/covidvaccine starting the week of January 25. The list will grow as additional pharmacies receive doses. Pharmacies are expected to be a primary choice for vaccinations as more vaccine becomes available, but as with other methods, they will have limited doses in the early part of the effort. Pharmacies are asked to limit their efforts in their stores at this time to Phase 1A and Phase 1B individuals 65 and over.

Primary care providers: Vaccines will be available to those 65 and over from some primary care and specialty care providers, such as medical practices, urgent care sites, and for patients of Federally Qualified Health Centers. Some providers will contact their own patients to offer vaccination appointments, and others may invite the public to request appointments. Medical providers who wish to vaccinate individuals must enroll in the state’s immunization system through a separate process. Information and instructions can be found on the Medical Provider page of de.gov/covidvaccine.

DPH vaccination events: DPH and its partners have scheduled five drive-through vaccination events for persons 65 and older, as well as for remaining Phase 1A personnel, on January 22 at the Delaware City Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and on January 23 and 24, at both the Delaware City and Georgetown DMV locations. These vaccination events are by appointment only.  The Delaware City DMV will close at noon on Friday to accommodate the vaccination event.

The registration system currently for Delawareans ages 65 and older will have the following steps: (1) An individual will request an appointment at de.gov/covidvaccine which will put them on a waiting list and (2) when appointments become available, invitation emails will be sent to individuals to schedule an appointment online for an upcoming event. These invitations will be unique and cannot be shared. Seniors with computer access are advised to request an appointment through this online system, which will be available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.  For seniors without computer access only, a phone line will be announced Wednesday to take requests for an appointment and, as slots become available, to help complete the appointment process.

DPH expects more requests for vaccination event appointments than doses and slots available for the first weekend and the foreseeable future. Sending of invitations to schedule appointments will occur based on age, medical condition and other risk factors. Delawareans age 65 and older who request an appointment but do not immediately receive an invitation email will continue to be on the waiting list to receive an invitation for future vaccination events. Multiple requests will not increase the chance of receiving an invitation for an appointment.

Any individuals who arrive without an appointment for this weekend’s events should not expect to be vaccinated. In the next few weeks, additional large-scale vaccination venues are expected to be brought online to vaccinate Phase 1B individuals and future phase groups. As the state progresses through and past Phase 1B, the appointment system will be used for individuals in future phases.

Those who receive appointments for vaccination events are reminded to please dress in appropriate clothing so that your upper arm can be exposed, including not getting out of the vehicle at a drive-through event to remove a coat or shirt. Also, if someone has received a flu, shingles or other vaccination recently, they cannot receive a COVID-19 vaccination within 14 days of the prior vaccination.

As a reminder, both before and after receiving a vaccine, people should continue to wear face coverings, social distance, avoid hosting or attending large gatherings, and wash and sanitize hands frequently.

Anyone with a question about COVID-19, whether related to medical or social service needs, should call Delaware 2-1-1. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

Download COVID Alert DE in the App Store or Google Play. 

Report a business for COVID-19 non-compliance using this form.

DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.

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Join Governor Carney and Dr. Karyl Rattay for a COVID-19 Update and Public Q&A on Phase 1B vaccine rollout tonight at 7:00 p.m. Submit questions to townhall@delaware.gov

 

DOVER (Dec. 12, 2020) – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced Delaware’s plans to distribute the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that was granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Friday evening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also voted Saturday to recommend the use of the vaccine for individuals 16 and older under the emergency use authorization. CDC Director Robert Redfield must still approve the advisory committee’s recommendations, but this is expected to occur Saturday as well. The ACIP recommendation and CDC sign off are the final steps in the approval process before states can begin vaccinating residents.

Delaware is expected to receive 8,775 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the next few days. Upon Delaware’s receipt of the vaccine, which is required to be kept at below-freezing temperatures, health care systems will be able to begin vaccinating their frontline employees within 24 hours.

“The arrival of the Pfizer vaccine is welcome news after nine long months fighting COVID-19,” said Governor John Carney. “This vaccine will help protect our health care workers who are working day and night to care for the sick and save lives. But we are not in the clear yet. We are still in for a very difficult winter. Please wear a mask. It’s a simple sacrifice to protect hospital capacity until we can vaccinate enough people to crush this virus. Don’t gather with friends or family outside your immediate household. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay vigilant.”

The Division of Public Health is responsible for providing the framework for acquiring and distributing the vaccine. DPH has devised a three-tier strategy for distribution.

Phase 1a: Health care personnel, emergency medical services agencies, and long-term care staff and residents will receive the vaccine first.  

Remainder of Phase 1: In early 2021, those who work in high-risk and critical infrastructure industries such as food processing, utilities, education, police and fire, those who work and live in congregate settings such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters, as well as those with certain underlying health conditions, and are aged 65 and older are likely to receive the vaccine.

Phase 2: (March 2021) Those with more moderate-risk for getting COVID-19 are eligible for receiving the vaccine. More details about specific groups in this phase will be provided as we get closer.

Phase 3: (Spring/Summer 2021) The general public can expect to receive vaccines through their primary health care providers, health centers and pharmacies as the vaccine becomes more widely available.

While DPH does not plan to mandate the vaccine, it is strongly encouraging that people get vaccinated once doses become available.

“The benefits from taking the vaccine far outweigh any potential risks,” said DPH Director Karyl Rattay. “The Pfizer vaccine has undergone rigorous testing through three clinical trials that involved approximately 40,000 individuals nationwide, including people of color, different ages and genders, and those with underlying health conditions, and the side effects have been minimal. The vaccine will save Delawareans’ lives as more individuals develop immunity from the virus by taking it.”

Children under the age of 16 are not included in the initial three phases of the vaccine’s rollout, as the FDA has not yet approved its use for individuals who fall into this category. More clinical trials involving children under 16 are still needed.

The potential side effects from the vaccine are similar to those experienced by people who receive the flu shot: soreness at the injection site, fever, headaches, and body aches that usually go away within 24 hours. Unless symptoms worsen or linger, there is no need to seek medical care. Pfizer reported no serious side effects from the vaccine, and there were no deaths directly linked to the vaccine itself. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to monitor the COVID-19 vaccine for safety and effectiveness and any long-term or rare side effects.

The Pfizer vaccine has a 90 percent effectiveness rate. Comparatively, the flu vaccine is generally 40 to 60 percent effective. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain a live virus and cannot give individuals the coronavirus.

The Pfizer vaccine does require two doses spaced about three weeks a part to be effective. The same brand of vaccine must be administered for both doses. DPH plans to remind individuals to get their second dose of the vaccine by sending reminder letters, providing automated phone calls and text messages and by patient record cards.

DPH is in the process of setting up a Vaccine Call Center, which it expects to be operational soon. Individuals can email their questions concerning the vaccine to Vaccine@Delaware.gov. Individuals can also visit de.gov/covidvaccine for up-to-date information. Myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/ will also have data on the vaccine available.

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