How to schedule an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Maine – NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ

Only people who are eligible in Phase 1a or those age 70 and older can sign up for a vaccine right now.

PORTLAND, Maine Thousands of people are calling hospitals across the state to get a COVID-19 vaccine after the Maine CDC released a list of vaccination sites Monday.

There are 23 sites in 12 of Maine's 16 counties, as of Tuesday, January 19.

Only those who are eligible under the state's phased approach can schedule an appointment.

Phase 1a, which includes health care workers, people who live and work at long-term care facilities, first responders, and select others. The state is also beginning to vaccinate Mainers age 70 and older.

Hospital systems including MaineHealth and Northern Light Health announced their vaccine appointments are open to the eligible general public, and those seeking the vaccine do not need to be patients in either hospital system.

Different hospitals have different methods for making an appointment. Hospital systems warn that they cannot make many appointments due to the lack of vaccine doses in the state.

MaineHealth: Call 877-780-7545 or text MaineHealth to 877-780-7545

Northern Maine Medical Center: Call NMMC COVID-19 Vaccine call center at 207-834-1512 to schedule an appointment

St. Mary's Regional Medical Center (Lewiston): Call 207-755-3100 for more information.

Cary Medical Center (Caribou): Call 207-498-1638 to make an appointment.

Intermed (South Portland): Patients will be notified of eligibility to receive the vaccine. More information here.

Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Trenton): Visit https://www.mdihospital.org/covid-19-vaccine/

Millinocket Regional Hospital (Stearns High School, Millinocket, and Patten Fire Department, Patten): To preregister: http://www.mrhme.org/getvax. Patten/Sherman/Stacyville residents can contact the Patten town office to preregister or visit the above website.All others may call 207-723-7225. Leave a message that includes your name, date of birth, primary care provider, and telephone number. You will NOT receive a phone call back UNTIL you are called to schedule your vaccination date and time.

Penobscot Valley Hospital (Lincoln): Register by visiting http://www.pvhme.org or call 207-794-7243.

St. Joseph Hospital (Bangor): Preparing to begin scheduling appointments. For the latest information call 207-907-3441.

Maine Hospital Association President Steven Michaud said hospitals do not have enough vaccine to meet the overwhelming demand.

"It's a good problem to have, but it's a problem because we don't have enough vaccine and we're not ready for that level of influx yet," Michaud said. "Until there's vaccine in the state, we can schedule all the people we want, but we're hamstrung by the federal government's ability to get us the vaccine."

However, Central Maine Healthcare announced Tuesday night that its patients age 70+ should notrequest an appointment at this time because they did not receive a delivery of doses. In the meantime, CMH says it is working on processes for the public to schedule appointments depending on vaccine availability. Updates can be found here.

The Maine CDC advises people to look for information from their hospital because they are reaching out to existing patients.

"We're building this plane as we're flying it. Let's admit that. We're doing the best we can," Michaud said.

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How to schedule an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Maine - NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ