Massachusetts residents are not skipping out on their second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, bucking national trends.
Data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows that the number of second doses already administered in Massachusetts matches the number of shots officials expected to give out.
Since the beginning of March, more than 99% of people who were eligible for a second dose of one of the vaccines received it, according to DPH data on first and second doses (red lines) compared against when second doses would be expected — four weeks after the first (blue line).
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That data matches what Massachusetts' pandemic command center told MassLive on Sunday: that roughly every resident who received their first dose of the two-shot vaccines has gone back to obtain their second shot.
The same isn't true for plenty of places across the nation. More than 5 million Americans have missed their second doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reported by The New York Times. People are forgoing their shots out of concern for side effects, issues with scheduling their second appointment, or a belief that the first done adequately protects them from the virus.
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Massachusetts has the lowest vaccine hesitancy rate statewide compared to any other state in the country, according to the CDC.
"People in Massachusetts are eager to get vaccinated," Gov. Charlie Baker said last week. "This enthusiasm is a critical part of making Massachusetts the leading state among all big states in getting our residents vaccinated."
Massachusetts recommends that residents receive their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine 21 days after the first dose and their second dose of the Moderna vaccine 28 days after the initial shot. People can receive their second dose of either shot up to six weeks after the first one.
