Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine has reached another vaccination milestone, delivering at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 percent of Maine people eligible to receive a vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) tracker. Maine has now given at least one shot of a vaccine to 70.5 percent of Maine people 12 and older.
President Biden set a July 4 goal of delivering at least one shot to 70 percent of adult (18+) Americans. Maine met that goal on May 12, 53 days ahead of July 4. With today’s achievement, Maine has again met that goal ahead of schedule, but now for a larger eligible population: people 12 years and older.
Currently, Maine is also the second best state in the nation in the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. CDC. More than half (52.9 percent) of all Maine residents, including children who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
On May 12, Governor Mills announced that 70 percent of Maine adults (18+) have received at least one shot of a COVID-19. That same day, the U.S. CDC voted to support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization for use of the Pfizer vaccine for youth 12 to 15 years old. Maine immediately expanded eligibility to that age group and, two weeks later, has delivered at least one shot of a vaccine to more than one-third of these youth.
In addition to Maine, five other states — Vermont, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut — have delivered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 percent of their populations age 12 and older, according to the U.S. CDC.
