Delaware ended the week with 18,000 new doses of coronavirus vaccine and fewer than 13,000 doses available.
Vaccine shipments declined by about 6,000 doses from a week earlier.
Vaccinations totaled about 13,600 for the week, as the state experienced snowy conditions. The number of available doses did drop below 12,000 by Monday
The Delaware Division of Public Health said the downturn in shipments did not come as a surprise since the previous week’s doses were well above the usual allocation. The number was adjusted downward the following week to account for the previous increase.
The state is still expecting to start seeing a larger increase in its allocation during the next few weeks.
The Delaware vaccination tracker reported the following:
Doses shipped
138,600
Doses administered
126,615
Doses remaining
11,985
A report from NPR ranked Delaware tenth among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., with 9.8 percent of its population receiving at least one dose. Delaware had previously ranked as high as eighth.
According to the NPR report, Delaware ranks slightly below the national average in the percentage of the population receiving two doses.
A vaccine data tracking report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more vaccines in the state with fewer vaccinations than the state dashboard.
Neighboring Maryland and Pennsylvania have struggled with vaccinations, with rankings of 36 and 40, respectively, in the NPR report.
Ranking at the top in the percentage of the population getting vaccines was Alaska, with Iowa at the bottom.
With a limited amount of vaccine available and indications that Black and Hispanic residents lag in the rate of vaccinations, with the state’s low ranking receiving national attention
Public health officials are working to reach those populations.
Gov. John Carney also ordered healthcare providers to fill out forms that list the ethnicity of those receiving vaccinations to handle the gap better.
The Delaware Division of Public Health is cautioning the public about a potential phone scam regarding distributing the Covid-19 vaccine in Delaware.
Individuals have reported receiving calls claiming to be from the State of Delaware offering a COVID-19 vaccine for a cost of $75. As a reminder, the vaccine is free, and there are no out-of-pocket costs associated with receiving the vaccine.
Anyone calling to offer Covid-19 vaccination for money is not legitimate. Those who receive the calls should report them to the Delaware Department of Justice’s Fraud and Consumer Protection Unit at 302-577-8600.
