Governor Mills Marks Anniversary of First COVID-19 Vaccination in Maine

Governor Janet Mills today marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccination in Maine by thanking Maine people for helping to make the state one of the most vaccinated places in the country.

“Vaccinations save lives,” said Governor Mills. “When vaccines became available against this deadly virus, we prioritized saving lives by vaccinating those at highest risk and then quickly expanding availability. Since then, more than 1 million people from every part of the state have done the right thing by getting vaccinated. Maine can be proud of our nation-leading progress over the past year, but our work is far from done. If you have not gotten vaccinated, please get your shot now. If you are eligible, please get a booster.”

Maine began vaccinating frontline health care workers on December 15, 2020, days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) granted emergency authorization to the Pfizer vaccine. Since then, 2,378,433 doses have been administered in the state, according to the U.S. CDC tracker. A total of 1,001,725 Maine residents, 74.5 percent of the state’s total population, is fully vaccinated, ranking Maine third nationally. Maine ranks fifth nationally in the percent of residents who have received booster doses (36.1 percent).

“Our teams have emphasized equity and access to ensure that every Maine person can get vaccinated as quickly and easily as possible,” said Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “The Delta variant continues to strain our health care systems, which are treating unprecedented numbers of – mostly unvaccinated – COVID-19 patients. The Omicron variant looms as another threat to Maine people and those who care for us. We continue to expand vaccination options and encourage all Maine people to get themselves and their loved ones vaccinated, including booster shots.”

The Maine CDC’s Immunization Program has teamed up with health care systems, emergency medical services clinicians, fire departments, school systems, businesses, federal agencies, and other partners to make vaccination as easy and accessible as possible for all Maine people. Earlier this month, the Maine CDC opened a large-scale community drop-in clinic at the Augusta Armory, offering all types of vaccinations, including boosters and pediatric doses. Drop-in clinics are also available in Sanford, South Portland, Auburn, and Bangor.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at no charge at sites across the state. For information on getting a vaccine, please visit Maine.gov/covid19/vaccines or call the Community Vaccination Line at 1-888-445-4111.