MAINE, USA — Maine reached another vaccine milestone on Monday, surpassing the 80% mark for the percentage of adults who have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80.2% of people age 18 or older in Maine have gotten a dose of the vaccine. Maine is one of seven states to reach the milestone.
The U.S. CDC includes the single-shot Johnson & Johnson doses in the “at least one shot” data, compared to the Maine CDC which includes those J&J shots in the “final dose” category.
Vermont leads the nation with 87.3% vaccinated with at least one dose, followed by Hawaii (85.6%), Massachusetts (85.1%), Connecticut (82.9%), and New Jersey (80.4%).
Maine is tied for sixth with New Mexico at 80.2%.
New England states continue to lead in the percentage of people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have surpassed the 70% mark for the percentage of people 12 and older fully vaccinated.
“I applaud Maine people for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and get their shot,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a release Monday. “We know that vaccinations are the best tool to protect the health of Maine people, and with the more contagious and deadly Delta variant spreading across Maine and the nation, it is crucial that we continue to make progress and fight back against this pandemic. If you haven’t had your shot yet, I encourage you to talk to your doctor about how getting vaccinated can protect your health and potentially save your life.”
According to a release from the governor’s office, vaccination rates in Maine are up 11.7% since late July. On July 30, Maine was administering 1,497 doses per day on a seven-day average basis. As of Sunday, that rate had risen to 1,673 doses per day.
In a tweet on Sunday, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said, “This is encouraging, especially considering delta. Let’s keep it up.”
The delta variant makes up 86.1% of all sequenced test samples collected in July, according to a weekly sequencing summary released on August 6. Between March 10 and July 30, 160 confirmed cases of the highly contagious delta variant have been confirmed in Maine. Eighty-five of those cases are new since the previous report on July 30.