Governor Janet T. Mills, the first woman Governor of Maine and a former Maine Attorney General, announced yesterday that 80% of adults in Maine have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, one of six states in the nation to reach the milestone.

Maine is the third best state in the nation in the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated with more than 64% of all residents – including children under 12 who are not yet eligible for a vaccine – fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Maine also continues to make progress in vaccinating younger people, with more than 50% of youth ages 12 to 19 being fully vaccinated.

“I applaud Maine people for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and get their shot,” said Governor Mills. “We know that vaccinations are the best tool to protect the health of Maine people ad 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.”

“All three authorized COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be extremely effective,” said Commissioner Jeanne Lanbrew of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  “We remain committed to making vaccination easy and accessible for Maine people.”

COVID-19 vaccination rates are up 11.7% in Maine since late July.  On July 30, Maine was administering 1,497 doses per day on a 7day average basis.  As of Sunday, August 8, 2021, that rate had risen to 1,673 doses per day.

The US CDC percentage takes into account the number of people age 12 to 17 who have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the number of people age 18 and older who have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and the number of people age 18 and older who have received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available at no charge at sites across the state.  For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine, please call 1 – 888-445-4111.