'Still More Demand Than Supply,' For Vaccines In Mass. As Eligibility Expands
BOSTON (CBS) -- All Massachusetts residents 16 and older became eligible Monday for the coronavirus vaccine. This is roughly 1.7 million people.
On Saturday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced the state hit a major vaccination milestone as two million people are now fully vaccinated.
But some are worried about the state's vaccine supply, given the current pause on the Johnson & Johnson shot. However Massachusetts is expecting an increase in Moderna and Pfizer doses this week.
The company running the state's mass vaccination sites, CIC Health, said appointments for Monday have been booked solid for weeks by people eager for a dose, even though spots like Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and the Hynes Convention Center and Reggie Lewis Center in Boston are doling out roughly 17,000 shots a day collectively.
"The supply and demand is right, there's still more demand than supply, but we all know at some point, that might start shifting," said Rodrigo Martinez, chief marketing officer of CIC Health. "We end up doing 100,000 per week at those three sites. So in three to four weeks, we'll get to another half-a-million people, which is fantastic. The more we get vaccinated, the better for everybody."
April 19 is the same day as President Joe Biden's deadline for states to make the vaccine available to all adults nationwide.
If you're still looking for a vaccine appointment, experts offer these tips:
- Pre-register online with the state for one of the state's mass vaccination sites
- Look for availability at smaller vaccination sites
- Monitor the web and follow Twitter accounts that update appointments
- Sign up for text alerts
Also, New Hampshire is dropping its residency requirement for vaccines on Monday.
To find out more about COVID vaccinations in Massachusetts and where you can get one visit mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine
