About one in four Wellesley residents have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 14% of residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest Massachusetts Department of Public Health data.
More than 1 million Massachusetts residents have now been fully vaccinated, according to the state, and Wellesley is home to more than 4,000 of those people.
According to the state’s latest vaccine numbers, 24% of Wellesley residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine (this includes first doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 1 shot of the single-dose Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine).
The state also shares information on partially vaccinated individuals, and Wellesley has 11% of its population in that category.
The Natick Mall mass vaccination site, along CVS and other locations, has allowed residents to get shots close to home. Wellesley Health Department officials wish they could play a bigger role in dispensing vaccines, but the state has largely handed that role over to mass vaccination sites and commercial operators such as CVS.
Police, fire department vaccine numbers high
We wondered, after reading the Boston Globe‘s report about 30% of the Massachusetts State Police not getting vaccinated at department-run clinics, what share of Wellesley Police Department and Fire Department members got vaccinated through the town.
Wellesley promoted its vaccination clinics for first responders in January, with firefighters Joanie Cullinan and Brian Hester, both of whom have faced serious health situations, up first.
In light of Hester’s serious case of COVID-19, it’s not surprising that the fire department had nearly 100% compliance according to data supplied by the Wellesley Health Department.
Police had 100% of dispatch staff and 82% of sworn officers (full-time and special officers) receive the vaccine as of March 17. Note that medical or other issues could be behind officers not receiving the vaccine; it’s not that they necessarily outright refused the vaccine.
As for the state police, the Globe points out that its numbers are based on department clinic vaccinations, and some members of the force may have been vaccinated through other sites or not been vaccinated for medical or other situations.
While teachers have had to go through the general state vaccination sign-up program, Wellesley Public Schools Supt. Dr. David Lussier says progress is good with WPS faculty and staff getting vaccinated. As of Monday, 62% have had at least one dose, he said during the Board of Health meeting.
Shingles vaccinations
A Swellesley reader shares a reminder that while you’re in vaccine mode, CVS advises those of you over 60 should to consider getting the shingles vaccine, which is available at CVS minute clinics and is covered by most insurance plans. Some doctors say those 50-plus should consider the vaccine. You’ll need to space out your shingles and COVID-19 vaccines.
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Thanks for the vax update. So glad to hear the first responders, including teachers, are responding.