COVID-19 UPDATE
3-30-2021
In an effort to keep our members current on the latest information regarding the coronavirus crisis, the Medical Society of Delaware is sharing the following:
Delaware Opens Vaccine Availability to All Residents Aged 16+

Today Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced all Delawareans aged 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday, April 6th. Residents will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies, community vaccination sites, and mass vaccination events hosted by the State of Delaware.

  • Beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6, Delawareans who are 16+ may register on the State of Delaware’s COVID-19 vaccination waiting list at vaccinerequest.delaware.gov. Invitations to state vaccination events will be contingent on supply and prioritized based on age and other risk factors, including pre-existing medical conditions. 

  • Pharmacies may also begin vaccinating Delawareans who are 16+ on Tuesday, April 6. 

  • Medical providers - including primary care doctors, specialty providers, and hospital systems - will continue to vaccinate only Delawareans aged 16-64 with moderate- and high-risk medical conditions and disabilities. Click here to view a list of updated medical conditions. 

As of Monday, March 29, Delaware providers had administered 439,391 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 30 percent of Delaware’s population has received at least one shot.
CDC Expands List of Medical Conditions for Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccine to Include Substance Use Disorder(s)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added substance use disorders, such as alcohol, opioid or cocaine use, to its list of medical conditions that put individuals at greater risk of developing severe COVID-19, citing the serious effects many drugs can have on people’s health.

The Delaware Division of Public Health has updated the State list to include the following as high-risk or chronic conditions:

  • Cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension
  • Dementia or other neurological conditions
  • Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
  • Down syndrome
  • Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension)
  • HIV infection
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)
  • Intellectual/developmental disabilities
  • Liver disease
  • Other Chronic Lung Disease (interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension)
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Severe and Persistent Mental/Behavioral Health Condition
  • Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
  • Smoking, current or former
  • Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
  • Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain
  • Substance Use Disorder(s)

Physicians who wish to vaccinate individuals must enroll in the state’s immunization system through a separate process. Learn more.
For more information and resources regarding COVID-19, MSD has created a coronavirus resource page on our website. View resource page.  
Medical Society of Delaware
900 Prides Crossing
Newark, Delaware 19713
(302) 366-1400

You are receiving this communication as a benefit of your membership in the Medical Society of Delaware.