According to data from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New England states are leading the nation in the COVID-19 vaccination effort, with New Hampshire topping the list and Maine close behind.
According to The New York Times, which includes CDC data for U.S. states, territories, and countries with special agreements with the U.S., all six New England states make the top 10 in how efficiently doses are administered from the federal government.
New Hampshire tops the list with 95 percent of its available doses used and with 51 percent of its population having received at least one dose of the vaccine. Twenty-four percent of the N.H. population has completed their vaccination series—which includes the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Maine comes in sixth for the percentage of the population that has received at one dose, right behind Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The data shows 85 percent of the available doses from the federal government have been used so far. State data as of Sunday shows nearly 900,000 total doses of the COVID-19 have been administered in Maine. Of those, 380,211 were final doses.
In a statement to NEWS CENTER Maine Monday, Mills said, “Maine’s progress in vaccinating people is a testament to our teams at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine CDC, the Maine National Guard, and our health care providers and volunteers across the state, all of whom who are working around the clock to protect Maine people from COVID-19."
Maine’s vaccination effort will continue to make strides this week, although the state is receiving fewer doses from the federal government. In addition to the 14,420 total doses sent directly to retail pharmacies, Maine is receiving 36,690 first doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“We will continue our efforts to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible, and I encourage all Maine people to get vaccinated so that we can get back to normal sooner," Mills said.
Also cracking the top 10 are Vermont and Rhode Island. The only non-New England states or territories in the top 10 are Palau (second), New Mexico (third), New Jersey (seventh), and South Dakota (ninth).
The Maine CDC did not immediately respond to NEWS CENTER Maine's request for comment.