Vaccination rate in 10 North Shore communities reaches 61%

Paul Leighton, Gloucester Daily Times, Mass.
·2 min read

Jun. 16—Sixty-one percent of residents in 10 North Shore communities have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the North Shore Coalition for a Safe Summer announced Tuesday.

The coalition said 157,941 residents have been fully vaccinated in its member communities — Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Hamilton, Marblehead, Nahant, Newburyport, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. Sixty-eight percent of all residents have received at least a first dose of the vaccine.

The North Shore Coalition for a Safe Summer was launched in late April by public health leaders in the 10 communities to promote widespread vaccination and support the reopening of local economies. Thirty-seven percent of residents had been fully vaccinated at the time the coalition began.

Sharon Cameron, the public health director for Peabody, called the progress in vaccinations "incredible."

"As we get closer to 70% of residents fully vaccinated across our communities, we can certainly look forward to a safe and healthy summer on the North Shore," Cameron said in a press release. "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 said it is partnering with the state and North Shore Medical Center on mobile vaccinations to reach populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Gloucester, Beverly, Peabody, Swampscott and Salem have all offered vaccinations at middle schools and high schools.

On Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m. at Obear Park in Beverly, volunteer doctors and nurses with the Medical Reserve Corps will join the coalition at the North Shore Teen Mental Health Day to provide teens and parents with information on vaccination.

The event will include free food from Flip the Bird and others; raffle prizes including $100 Amazon gift cards; custom personal mental health kits; free swag including bucket hats, T-shirts and sunglasses; and activities including plate smashing, water guns, photo booth, painting, airbrush tattoos, and creating your own crystal ring.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, pleighton@gloucestertimes.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.