Tracking vaccinations in Massachusetts

Data shows that the 1.5 million doses of the vaccine have been shipped to Massachusetts. In theory, that’s enough to fully vaccinate 764,000 people (2 doses per person).

Massachusetts distributed the first vaccine doses in mid-December. Nearly 900,000 people in Massachusetts (about 16 percent of the state’s 5.7 million residents who are 16 and older and eligible to be vaccinated) have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. So far only 300,000 are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. That is only 5 percent of eligible residents.

The first phase of the state’s rollout prioritized health care workers and first responders. Phase 2 adds seniors to the line. Seniors are among the most vulnerable to the virus, with more than 80 percent of COVID-19-related deaths in the US being people 65 and older, according to the CDC. The Commonwealth’s data shows that 31,482 residents 75 or older and 29,274 residents between 65 and 74 have already been vaccinated so far.

As Phase 2 expands to include people 65 and older and people with two or more comorbidities the state is struggling to meet demand. On the first day of vaccinations for the newly eligible group, the state’s registration site crashed. Before the site was fully back up and running many slots had already been booked through the next week. When online registration for seniors 75 and older opened up weeks before, many hopefuls had also complained of numerous pain points and scarce availability. State officials blamed high demand. Governor Charlie Baker urged patience and said the state would create a call center to help seniors frustrated by the online registration process.

Not all groups are lining up to be vaccinated. Black and Latino residents are among the most reluctant. According to a Boston Globe and Suffolk University survey, only 11 percent of Black residents and 32 percent of Latino residents said they want the vaccine as soon as possible. Phase 1 prioritized COVID-19-facing health care workers. Even though an estimated 14 percent of select health care workers in Massachusetts are Black, according to research center Boston Indicators, Black residents accounted for less than 5 percent of vaccinations during the first phase. Black residents currently account for only 5 percent of full vaccinations.

Inoculation has been the slowest among Latino residents. Only 1 percent of Latinos in Massachusetts have been vaccinated. The group makes up 4 percent of total vaccinations, but 12 percent of the state population.

Polls also showed that men were less willing to get the vaccine than women. The state’s vaccination report shows there are more than twice as many women getting vaccinated than men. Men account for 32 percent of fully vaccinated residents even though they make up 48 percent of the state’s population (about 2 percent of recipients fall under “other” which includes unreported genders and non-binary genders).

Women are more likely to be health care workers, a group prioritized in Phase 1. Women make up 75 percent of health care workers, according to Boston Indicators. But Phase 1 also included first responders (EMS, police and firefighters) who are more likely to be men, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.