More than 157,000 residents in 10 North Shore communities have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, representing 61 percent of the population.
The North Shore Coalition for a Safe Summer announced the milestone Tuesday, which includes residents in Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Salem, Swampscott, Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Hamilton and Newburyport. In addition, 68 percent of residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine.
“The incredible progress we’ve made on vaccination over the last seven weeks is a testament to our residents, our local public health teams and municipal leaders, and the Commonwealth’s leadership to ensure that Massachusetts is among the most highly-vaccinated states in the country,” said Sharon Cameron, public health director in Peabody. “As we get closer to 70 percent of residents fully vaccinated across our communities, we can certainly look forward to a safe and healthy summer on the North Shore. We have to continue to build on this momentum and focus our outreach on those residents who may still be hesitant to be vaccinated.”
The coalition was launched in late April to encourage vaccination and support a full, safe and uninterrupted reopening for local economies. At the time of the launch, 37 percent of residents were fully vaccinated.
Public health leaders plan to focus on reaching populations disproportionately impacted by the pandemic going forward, with convenient and accessible mobile vaccination options and educational resources. Communities have partnered with the state and Salem Hospital to provide some of these resources.
“We all have a role to play in protecting our communities and bringing an end to this pandemic,” said Dave Greenbaum, Salem’s health agent. “The COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. continue to show they are safe and highly effective at protecting people against the virus, including new and more contagious variants. We’re encouraging residents who have not yet been vaccinated to do so as soon as they’re able, and continue to identify new ways to make that choice as easy and convenient as possible.”
According to the coalition, as of June 10, 71 percent of Marblehead residents were fully vaccinated, along with 74 percent of Nahant residents, 56 percent of Peabody residents, 54 percent of Salem residents and 69 percent of Swampscott residents.
