DOVER — The Delaware Division of Public Health has updated its approach to administering second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in response to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC announced Jan. 22 that an interval of 42 days between doses is acceptable, if adhering to the 21-day (Pfizer) or 28-day (Moderna) intervals is not possible.

The DPH is recommending to its vaccine partners to schedule second doses between 28 and 35 days after the first dose is administered, given extremely limited supply of the vaccine. According to the DPH, this policy will enable the state to continue administering first doses to the vulnerable 65-plus population at highest risk of hospitalization and death.

Science shows that the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides 52% to 80% protection, the DPH said in a statement. For context, the average flu vaccine provides 40% to 60% protection.

Delawareans who have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine are significantly better protected than their neighbors who haven’t been vaccinated, even without the second dose, the DPH said in its announcement. The division added that it is committed to ensuring all Delawareans receive their second doses by Day 42, unless federal guidance recommends otherwise.

After a pause due to vaccine supply issues, the state and partners are resuming vaccinations for Phase 1A health care workers giving priority to emergency medical services personnel, school nurses and health care workers, who provide patient care and are at highest risk of sustained close contact with infected individuals. Doses are being delivered to county paramedic units by Friday, and a vaccination event limited to emergency responders is being planned for Monday with appointments made through first-responder agencies.

The DPH began working Thursday with the county paramedic agencies, the Delaware Fire Prevention Commission and the Delaware Police Chiefs’ Council to determine additional dates and locations, as well. Additional Phase 1A individuals will be notified about opportunities to receive their second doses through their associations or through correspondence from the Division of Professional Regulation, once DPH has scheduled those events.

Second doses of the vaccine do not need to be administered by the same provider or at the same location as an individual’s first dose, according to the DPH, meaning as vaccines become more widely available, so will options for where to get second doses. Some pharmacies and medical providers administering first-dose vaccinations are scheduling second-dose appointments, which they will keep as vaccine supplies allow.

However, the DPH noted that it is important that all individuals who are vaccinated receive the same formulations of the vaccine for their second dose — those who received Moderna for the first dose should receive Moderna for their second dose. The same goes for the Pfizer vaccine.

The DPH is strongly encouraging vaccinated individuals to keep their vaccine card to ensure they know what vaccine they received and when.

The DPH intends to provide second-dose options for Phase 1B seniors who have been vaccinated in DPH events over the last two weekends as they reach the 28- to 35-day window. The DPH will communicate with those individuals and schedule them for second doses using the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System, which was used to schedule first doses. For those who received their vaccination before the VAMS system went live, information will be provided on de.gov/covidvaccine or through community partners.

Delaware has administered 87,511 of the 120,850 doses it has received from the federal government, according to its vaccine tracker, which used information from the state’s immunization system DelVAX as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. However, due to reporting delays the number of doses administered is likely higher, according to the DPH.

There have been 76,495 positive cases of COVID-19 in Delaware since March 11, including 674 new positives as of Wednesday at 6 p.m. The situation in Delaware hospitals continues to improve, as the number of individuals hospitalized with the virus fell by 22 compared to the day prior, down to 333, the lowest total since Dec. 6.

Three new COVID-19-related deaths were reported Thursday, two from Sussex County and one from New Castle County, bringing the state’s death toll to 1,075. None of the three was a resident of a long-term care center.