Town 49 percent fully vaccinated, reports more than 10 new covid-19 cases

Aug 13, 2021

Wareham saw 11 new cases of covid-19 over the past week, according to the state’s Aug. 12 Weekly Public Health Report. 

Wareham’s average daily incidence rate decreased from 10.3 to 7.7 cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days. Given Wareham’s population, 7.7 cases per 100,000 people means there were about 1.77 new cases each day over the past two weeks.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,819 coronavirus cases in Wareham.

Vaccination rate

The town’s vaccination rate lags behind other Massachusetts communities. Of 294 municipalities reporting vaccination data in Massachusetts, Wareham ranked 280 — or the 14th lowest — in terms of the percentage of individuals who’ve received at least one dose of a covid vaccine. 

According to the state’s Aug. 12 data, only 53 percent of Wareham residents have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine. That amounts to 12,854 people — up 149 people from last week.

Only 49 percent of Wareham residents — 11,768 people — are fully vaccinated.

Of the 27 municipalities in Plymouth County reporting vaccination data to the state, Wareham has reported the second-lowest percentage of individuals with at least one dose. Only Middleborough had a lower percentage of individuals with at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine, at 52 percent.

Every other municipality in Plymouth County reported that at least 58 percent or more of its population had received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine.

Opportunities to get vaccinated

Local public health experts continue to encourage people to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

People aged 12 or older who live, work or study in Massachusetts are eligible to be vaccinated against covid-19. Those over the age of 18 can sign up to receive any vaccine, but those ages 12 to 17 can only get the Pfizer vaccine. 

Those eligible for the vaccine can find appointments at providers around the state using the state’s website vaxfinder.mass.gov

The state has also set up a call center for those who are unable to access the vaccine appointment website or who have trouble navigating the complex online system.

From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, people can call 211 and navigate to the vaccine help line by pressing two when prompted. The call center has workers on staff who speak English and Spanish, and there are translators available to support residents in about 100 additional languages.

VaxMillions Giveaway incentive

In an effort to encourage more people to get vaccinated, the state has planned a VaxMillions Giveaway. Each week until Aug. 26, two fully vaccinated Massachusetts residents will win big. One adult over the age of 18 will win $1 million, and one teen between the ages of 12 and 17 will win a $300,000 scholarship grant. 

For more information or to enter, go to www.vaxmillionsgiveaway.com

For additional information about the available covid-19 vaccines, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/ or talk to your doctor.