PORTLAND, Maine — Residents of long-term care facilities in Maine began receiving the new coronavirus vaccine on Monday in a major step toward broader vaccination of the general public.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said more than 4,600 people have been administered the vaccine in the state. However, the state has focused on front-line health care workers until now.
Maine is perennially among the states with the highest median age, and public health authorities have said the effort to vaccinate nursing home residents is a key piece of the state’s fight against the virus.
“We know there is a long road ahead of us with respect to that program,” said Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC.
Future phases of the state’s vaccine roll-out are scheduled to include first responders and high-risk individuals. Shah said Monday the vaccine could be ready for a broader rollout to the population at large this summer.
The state has also received its first doses of the newly authorized Moderna vaccine, Shah said. The Pfizer vaccine against coronavirus arrived last week.
Story by Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press