PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The bishop of Maine’s Roman Catholic diocese is calling on all Christians and everyone else to get the new coronavirus vaccine when it’s available to them.

Bishop Robert Deeley of the Diocese of Portland says he has been fielding questions from Christians in the state about his perspective on the vaccine.

He said Thursday he unequivocally supports vaccines for everyone.

Deeley says he is concerned about enough people using the vaccine in Maine because the state has had lower than average rates of vaccine uptake in the past.

The state has reported more than 14,800 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic started.