Capeâs summer vaccine push lagging in communities of color Share Updated: 11:22 AM EDT May 13, 2021 By Katie Lannan/State House News Service WCVB Share Updated: 11:22 AM EDT May 13, 2021 By Katie Lannan/State House News Service Cape Cod remains on track to meet its goal of having 75 percent of the region s population vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the summer season, but breakdowns by racial and ethnic groups show a significant gap among different demographics, Sen. Julian Cyr said Thursday.On a call with other members of Cape Cod s COVID-19 response task force, Cyr said 62 percent of white Cape Codders had received at least one vaccine dose, compared to 37 percent of the region s Black residents, 53 percent of its Hispanic residents, 51 percent of its Asian residents and 15 percent of its Native American residents. This is unacceptable, and we must do a better job reaching out to communities to ensure tha
A sign announcing free COVID-19 vaccines at Shaw s in Falmouth.
The vaccination effort aimed at stopping the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a turning point, as demand for vaccines slows and most clinics have begun offering them on a walk-in basis.
All members of Cape Cod’s vaccine consortium, which includes Cape Cod Healthcare, community health centers, and Barnstable County, now allow people to get the vaccine without an appointment, according to state Sen. Julian Cyr.
Retail pharmacies that offer the vaccine are beginning to take walk-ins as well.
“This is pretty good news,” Cyr said. “This is going to help further maximum participation.”
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The Cape Cod COVID-19 task force would like to see 75 percent of Cape residents vaccinated with at least one dose by Memorial Day.
Cape Cod’s COVID-19 task force has set a goal to get 75 percent of Cape residents vaccinated with at least one dose by Memorial Day.
That means reaching another 11 percent of the population.
State Senator Julian Cyr, the task force spokesman, said the job ahead will be harder than reaching people who were more eager to get the vaccine.
“We were seeing double-digit jumps week-to-week in vaccination rates, and that has slowed a bit,” he said. “So we ve got our work cut out for us, but we are doing everything we can.”
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