PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A much higher percentage of older residents in Maine have had their coronavirus vaccines, but younger residents are starting to catch up.
About 72% of Maine residents age 40 and older have had their final dose of the vaccine, the office of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills reported on Wednesday. The rate for residents who are younger than 40 but eligible for a vaccine is about 38%.
Older residents have a higher rate of vaccination in part because some age groups became eligible for the vaccine sooner. There is also no vaccine yet available for people younger than 12, and 12- to 15-year-old Maine residents only became eligible recently.
The state as a whole has a vaccination rate of about 52%, which is one of the highest in the country. Officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control have said they are seeing steady progress in getting the vaccine to younger residents.
“The virus is on the run, but not yet out of sight,” Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said.
