Abby Hepner
News Reporter
Recently, the first case of the United Kingdom coronavirus variant was reported in Massachusetts. In addition, COVID-19 cases remain high throughout the state, so vaccination is a top priority for Massachusetts’ residents.
Earlier in the pandemic, Governor Charlie Baker was praised for his safety measures and efficiency in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. However, Baker has recently started to receive criticism due to Massachusetts’ vaccination rate.
Unexpectedly, West Virginia has the highest overall vaccination rate in the country, having vaccinated 7.4% of its population as of January 19th. On the other hand, Massachusetts ranks 29th for per capita vaccination rates, though the exact percentage is unclear. The state is also behind all other New England states, in addition to New York.
As of January 14th, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont have vaccinated over 3% of their populations, and New York has vaccinated 2-3%. In addition to West Virginia, South Dakota and North Dakota have the second and third highest vaccination rates in the nation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control’s list of vaccination priorities, assisted-living residents and first responders are next in line after health care workers. In the coming weeks, people in congregate care settings, home-based health care workers, and non-COVID health care workers will be vaccinated. Between February and April, citizens with two or more comorbidities, those age 75 and older, other essential frontline workers, people age 65 and older, and people with one comorbidity will receive their vaccines. In April and beyond, the general public will be offered vaccines.
Gillette Stadium has officially opened as the state’s first mass vaccination site. In addition to “mega-sites” such as Gillette Stadium, citizens will receive their shots at pharmacies, colleges, schools, primary care practices, and even polling sites.
Although Massachusetts has ranked poorly in terms of its vaccination rate thus far, the hope is that our state’s residents will be fully vaccinated by late spring or summertime.
