1.7M Bay Staters become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines next week
Every Massachusetts resident 16 or older — an estimated 1.7 million people — will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations Monday.Gov. Charlie Baker said the timeline meets the state’s goal and the national goal set by President Joe Biden. However, the governor warned that newly eligible residents may face a wait of several weeks before they can find an appointment.”While our supply from the federal government has seen a modest increase, as I’ve said before, our capacity to administer doses remains much greater than the number of doses we get each week,” Baker said Wednesday.Baker said the number of Pfizer and Moderna shots being shipped to Massachusetts is expected to increase by 8% next week.While Baker said the state is making progress in the vaccination effort, he said the rate of that progress is constrained by the limited supply.”We’re working to get doses to eligible people as fast as we can but how fast we can move depends on how fast we get vaccines from our friends in Washington,” he said.The use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on hold, pending decisions from federal officials, but Baker emphasized that vaccine only made up about 3% of the doses allocated to the state this week. All state programs that relied on the J&J doses, including the vaccination of homebound residents, will be converted to other vaccines.Massachusetts vaccination progress:
Every Massachusetts resident 16 or older — an estimated 1.7 million people — will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations Monday.
Gov. Charlie Baker said the timeline meets the state’s goal and the national goal set by President Joe Biden. However, the governor warned that newly eligible residents may face a wait of several weeks before they can find an appointment.
“While our supply from the federal government has seen a modest increase, as I’ve said before, our capacity to administer doses remains much greater than the number of doses we get each week,” Baker said Wednesday.
Baker said the number of Pfizer and Moderna shots being shipped to Massachusetts is expected to increase by 8% next week.
While Baker said the state is making progress in the vaccination effort, he said the rate of that progress is constrained by the limited supply.
“We’re working to get doses to eligible people as fast as we can but how fast we can move depends on how fast we get vaccines from our friends in Washington,” he said.
The use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on hold, pending decisions from federal officials, but Baker emphasized that vaccine only made up about 3% of the doses allocated to the state this week. All state programs that relied on the J&J doses, including the vaccination of homebound residents, will be converted to other vaccines.
Massachusetts vaccination progress:
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