Area healthcare facilities begin phase 1 of COVID-19 vaccinations

The first phase of COVID 19 vaccinations has begun in Washington County. Robert Long, the communications director for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explains that Maine is following federal recommendations for vaccination planning. Currently it is in phase 1a, which is for healthcare workers and those in skilled nursing and long term care facilities. However, Long notes that Maine has received "fewer than half the doses needed to vaccinate those in phase 1a."
Phase 1b will include people age 75 and older and frontline essential workers; phase 1c will include those ages 65 74, people ages 16 64 with high risk medical conditions and other essential workers. Phase 2 will be all people ages 16 and older who are not in phase 1, with vaccines starting to become available to the general public. The final phase is expected to start in late spring or early summer.
With Washington County's high population of older residents, Long notes that people older than 75 who don't live in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities are in phase 1b, which is expected to begin in late January or early February. "As Maine CDC receives more information about the availability of vaccines for people in 1b, we will post it on the webpage and make it available through medical and professional associations." He adds, "We ask that Maine people exercise patience and continue to abide by the COVID 19 safety protocols as Operation Warp Speed and vaccine manufacturers strive to stabilize and increase distribution of vaccines to the states." Vaccine roll out phase information is available at www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines.

Local facilities begin vaccination
A sampling of Washington County healthcare facilities shared their vaccine planning and implementation for phase 1a.
Down East Community Hospital (DECH) in Machias received its first shipment of 200 Moderna COVID 19 vaccines for staff on December 21 and held its first clinic on December 23, when 73 staff were vaccinated. The Moderna vaccine is given in two doses. The first group will be ready for its second dose on January 20.
DECH Vice President of Quality Monique Mills, BSN, RN, CIC, says of the first clinic, "This was a special day for DECH and our community. It feels like the start of hope and light in this dark pandemic. It was so amazing to see the excitement in the healthcare workers' eyes as they received their first dose."
Calais Regional Hospital (CRH) began vaccinating workers on December 30. Emergency Department registered nurse Trudy Gillespie was the first CRH employee to be vaccinated. The hospital received 100 Moderna doses in this first phase of the roll out. The hospital's leadership called the vaccine a milestone moment as the critical first step in what will still be a long journey in the fight against COVID 19.
On December 30 the Eastport Memorial Nursing Home vaccinated 22 residents and 28 staff members using the Moderna vaccine. Administrator Camela Deschene reports that while vaccinations are strictly voluntary for all staff and residents, "100% of our residents were immunized today, and a little over 60% of staff." The second vaccination dose is for January 27.
At Eastport Health Care (EHC), CEO Ellen Krajewski reports that EHC anticipates receiving the Moderna COVID 19 vaccine for immunizing employees over the next three to four weeks. While vaccination is not mandatory, "EHC is encouraging all staff members to be vaccinated." In addition, Krajewski notes that the facility has "agreed to serve as a vaccination site for a small number of nearby independent providers, should they choose to receive the vaccine at this time." Planning for patient vaccination is at the forefront. "Patients in the highest risk categories will be vaccinated first," according to the state's vaccination phase plan. "EHC will reach out to patients either individually or through electronic or media platforms once we have more information," which is expected in the next six to 10 weeks.
In the meantime, Maine CDC's Long stresses the importance of remaining vigilant. "Since mid October Maine has been experiencing widespread community transmission, which means it is not possible to trace every route of transmission. It's like trying to determine which drops of water get you wet when someone throws a bucket of water on you. The increase in cases and outbreak investigations in Washington County since then indicate widespread transmission throughout the county. While we cannot trace each case to its source and while we have to focus available resources on those who have gotten sick, a common theme we hear during case investigations is that people let their guard down and took a break from the guidance to wear masks, stay six feet apart and avoid non essential interaction with people who don't live with them." He adds, "Research into whether vaccinated people or those who have had COVID 19 can spread the virus to others is ongoing. For that reason, scientists cannot say definitively that people in those groups cannot transmit the virus to others, so they should continue to wear masks in public."