By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Demand for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots has been high among Delawareans, especially seniors, since boosters were approved in mid-August.

And this time, the state has the vaccine supply to handle that demand.

Delaware is administering an average of more than 1,000 booster shots or additional doses a day, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health’s vaccine tracker, which uses information from the state’s immunization information system DelVAX.
There have been a total of 95,502 booster/additional doses administered since Aug. 13, as of Monday at 11:59 p.m. — 62,865 of which were for individuals 65 years old or older.

Dover’s Modern Maturity Center hosted a vaccine clinic specifically for boosters on Oct. 31. More than 500 seniors received their boosters that day, said MMC director Carolyn Fredricks.

“The older population especially wants to be protected,” Ms. Fredricks said.

MMC is not planning on holding any more booster clinics due to local pharmacies having ample supply of doses, Ms. Fredricks added. She said those who have not received their booster yet are being asked to call their pharmacy to schedule one.

The current situation is a far cry from the beginning of the state’s vaccine rollout in early 2021, where demand outpaced supply and seniors had to hope they were lucky enough to snag one of the few appointments available.

“That was awful when it first rolled out and everyone was clamoring to get the shot,” Ms. Fredricks said. “You had all these clinics and people waiting in line for hours. It’s not anything like that now. It’s much easier — just call your pharmacist.”

Karen Crouse, executive director of the Harrington Senior Center, said booster shots are so popular she had members asking when they could schedule their appointments before final approval was even given by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Harrington Senior Center has scheduled a booster clinic for Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 10 a.m. through local pharmacy Hometown Drugs. Ms. Crouse said she is anticipating more than 100 sign-ups.

Several members have already received theirs at a pharmacy, she said. Ms. Crouse added that process is less of a burden on seniors since pharmacies are now taking appointments over the phone instead of just online like they were in February.

“The process is much easier,” Ms. Crouse said. “Most pharmacies are taking phone calls to schedule appointments and not requiring they register online which is a big help for seniors.”

Those 65 years old and older, those who live in long-term care settings, those who have underlying medical conditions and those who work or live in high-risk settings are eligible for boosters. Individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can receive a booster dose six months after their second dose of the two-dose vaccine series while those who received Johnson & Johnson are eligible two months after their dose of the single-dose vaccine.

The CDC does allow mixing and match of vaccines now and Ms. Crouse said she is advising seniors to first check with their primary care doctors if they want a different vaccine than their first dose and to ensure they are eligible for a booster shot.

Rev. Rita Paige, one of the leaders of the Kent County Coalition for vaccine equity, said she is not planning on scheduling any booster-specific clinics but they have been the most popular at the coalition’s events recently.

She added they have also administered some third doses, which are given to certain individuals with immunocompromising conditions 28 days after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna. These include individuals who have received organ or stem cell transplants, are undergoing treatment for HIV or cancer or are taking medication that suppresses the immune system, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The coalition hosted two events Saturday at area barbershops. It administered 28 booster doses, two second doses and one first dose at Michaelangelo’s Hair Designs in Dover and 10 boosters, three second doses and one first dose at Bring It Back Barber Shop in Frederica.

“I’m happy we’re still doing some first and second doses because it means we’re still finding people getting the vaccine for the first time,” Rev. Paige said. “But it’s been mostly boosters.”