COVID-19 vaccinations in Connecticut continue with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting Thursday that 84.4% of the state's total population has received at least one vaccine dose and 72.2% are fully vaccinated.
Right now, COVID-19 vaccine sign-ups are open to people 5 and older. People looking to get vaccinated do not need photo identification, nor do they need insurance. Families will have options for where to get their children vaccinated including pediatricians, pharmacies, school-based clinics, and local health departments.
Booster shots for those who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago are available to individuals 65 and older as well as select other groups. For people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago, according to the CDC.
Eligible recipients may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose, according to the CDC and the state Department of Public Health.
You can find more information about where to get a vaccine at VaccineFinder.org or at the CT Vaccine Portal. A number of sites also accept walk-up appointments during certain time windows. You may also dial 211. Additional hospital and pharmacy locations across the state are also offering vaccine appointments.
So far, CDC data show that a total of 6,884,475 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed to Connecticut and 6,036,671 doses have been administered.
Meanwhile, state public health officials said all Connecticut residents over the age of 2 years (regardless of vaccination status) should wear masks in public indoor spaces in counties with substantial transmission of COVID-19, per new CDC guidelines. All Connecticut counties are listed as above that category, according to the CDC.
As of Thursday, state public health officials report 414 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Hospitalizations had been relatively flat, remaining around 200 per day before increasing in mid-November.
On Dec. 14, 2020, the state’s coronavirus hospitalizations reached a winter peak of 1,269 people, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. During Connecticut’s spring peak in April 2020, almost 2,000 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals.
As of Nov. 10, state officials report racial disparities in Connecticut’s vaccine rollout.
In one example, officials with the state Department of Public Health report that people who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, and white are about 1.2 to 1.3 times as likely as people who identify as Hispanic to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
People who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, and white are also about 1.3 times as likely as people who identify as Black, as multiple races or as American Indian or Alaska Native to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Racial disparities have persisted for months, but have been dropping slightly in recent weeks.
But the data come with caveats. State officials have logged hundreds of thousands of shots given to people age 12 and older who are classified as “Other Race” or “Unknown.” Those groups likely include people who would identify with a race and ethnicity listed below, therefore vaccine coverage for the groups listed “is underestimated and should be interpreted with caution,” according to the DPH.
Currently, state public health data show 135 of Connecticut’s 169 towns at the highest alert level for COVID-19. That’s up from 100 towns in that category last week.
Additionally, 23 towns are listed at the second-highest “orange” alert level, about equal to last week's total. And seven towns are currently listed at the third-tier “yellow” alert level, which is down from the previous week's total of 14 towns.
According to the state DPH, the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing homes, assisted living centers, or correctional facilities.
