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March 15, 2021

CT’s vaccine rollout moved up; 45-54 can sign up Friday, everyone else April 5

YEHYUN KIM :: CTMIRROR.ORG Sara Khalid, a nurse practitioner, prepares Gregory Borino, of New Haven, for COVID-19 vaccination.
By Jenna Carlesso, CT Mirror

Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that he is accelerating the timetable for Connecticut’s coronavirus vaccine rollout, opening eligibility to people 45 to 54 on Friday, and then to everyone 44 and younger beginning April 5.

Under the previous schedule, residents aged 45 to 54 would have been eligible starting March 22, and people 35 and older would have been allowed to sign up for an appointment beginning April 12. Those 16 to 34 would have had to wait until May 3.

Max Reiss, a spokesman for Lamont, said expected increases in weekly vaccine supply are behind the state’s decision to speed up the timetable. Connecticut is expected to receive 131,000 doses this week; 141,000 next week; 178,000 during the week of March 29; and 195,000 doses during the week of April 5.

“The federal government has indicated that we could expect potentially as much as 200,000 vaccines per week by the end of March,” Reiss said. “We are very soon going to reach a point where supply and demand are going to cross, and there will be more supply than there is demand. The infrastructure is there, now the supply is going to be there. This gives us certainty moving forward.”

The Lamont administration last month decided the remainder of Connecticut’s vaccine rollout would be prioritized based on age, with tiered schedules for people in different age groups. He also arranged special clinics for teachers, day care workers and other educational staff.

The move was a departure from recommendations by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the state’s vaccine advisory panel, both of which had suggested people 16 and older with underlying medical conditions and essential workers such as grocery store employees should be next in line.

Reiss said Monday that the state is directing providers to help reach young people with underlying health issues, though he did not elaborate on the guidance.

CT Mirror Reporter Kasturi Pananjady contributed to this report.

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