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Peggy Bell of Yarmouth, who has major health issues that put her at risk if she contracts COVID-19, says she has struggled to get answers about when she will be vaccinated.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
One month into the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Maine has used only about half of its 96,475 available doses, and it’s unclear how it will ever meet a goal of inoculating 50,000 people per week.
That’s the optimum weekly number health officials say is necessary to vaccinate 1.3 million Mainers by midsummer and possibly stave off another coronavirus surge next fall. But while logistical and staffing challenges threaten to hinder expanding Maine’s effort beyond the current rate of about 12,000 first doses per week, some health officials say they can’t effectively plan how they eventually might inoculate 50,000 people weekly because current vaccine shipments are so low and undependable.