New England Leads U.S. In Vaccination Rates

Also: Mass. adjusts vaccine plan to fight hesitancy; Boston protesters push for bigger changes to policing ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Donate [WBUR]]( [View in Browser](  [WBUR]( May 4, 2021 Good Morning Boston, 🌧️ Showers likely, otherwise cloudy, with a high near 54. Massachusetts is on track to vaccinate more than 4 million people by the end of the month, according to state officials. But their strategy for exactly how to get more shots into arms is evolving. Here's what you need to know: - As vaccine supply starts to outpace demand here in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker is changing up how the state will distribute shots. By June, the state [will close]( four of its mass vaccination sites – Gillette Stadium, the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers, the Natick Mall and the Hynes Convention Center in Boston – and redirect those doses to smaller, regional sites like churches, YMCAs, mobile clinics and senior centers. The goal is that these local and trusted community organizations will help convince people who are skeptical of vaccines to roll up their sleeves and get their shots. Right now, roughly 30% of Massachusetts residents have not signed up for a vaccine appointment. - The good news is that even with that hesitancy, New England is leading the country in COVID vaccination rates. In Massachusetts, more than 57% of residents have received at least one dose and, so far, more than 2.6 million people have been fully vaccinated here. New Hampshire is not far behind. Vermont, Connecticut and Maine make up the rest of the top five leading states when it comes to vaccination rates. Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, has [an interesting Twitter thread]( taking a closer look at these top states' vaccination rates to forecast at what point we could see cases in the U.S. begin to drop sharply. - The FDA is expected to give the green light to giving [Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to kids]( ages 12 to 15 by next week. This comes as [children now account for 22% of new U.S. COVID cases](. This flip is partly due to high vaccination rates among older Americans, but also to the reopening of more schools and the loosening of safety restrictions in various states. In non-COVID news: - A newly [proposed bill]( would let 17-year-olds in Massachusetts access HIV prevention medication in the same way that they can currently access birth control, abortion, and both testing and treatment for HIV. - A hearing is scheduled today to review the decisions made by the Department of Children and Families in the case of 14-year-old David Almond, who [died last year]( after being returned to his father's custody. Officials say he was starved and abused by his father and his father's girlfriend, and in-person check-ins were not performed due to the pandemic. A report by the state found the department's decision to return custody was not "clinically justified." P.S.– The first time America heard All Things Considered from National Public Radio was 50 years ago, though it didn't start airing on WBUR until about a decade later. But ever since, it's been at the forefront of covering major stories shaping Massachusetts, like the priest sex abuse scandal, same-sex marriage, health care reform, the Boston Marathon bombings and, most recently, the pandemic. This [look back from our local All Things Considered team]( is a great listen. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown [1.](url)['Until We Win': Boston Protesters Seek Bigger Changes To Policing]( Police reform activists have had some recent wins, including the guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. But they say much more is needed. [Read more.]( - Listen: [Acting Mayor Kim Janey On Her First Month In Office, Delaying Reopening, And Police Reform](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    2. ['She Was Full Of All The Best Parts Of Love': Friends Grieve The Death Of Jahaira DeAlto]( Jahaira DeAlto's loved ones have been posting on social media since learning of her death over the weekend. She's being remembered for being a trans activist, an advocate of survivors of domestic violence and a legend. [Read more.]( 3. [Truckers For Shaw's, Star Market Go On Strike In New England]( The drivers are responsible for delivering grocery staples to more than 100 Shaws and Star Market supermarkets across the region. Fruit, vegetables and refrigerated items are handled by a separate facility. [Read more.]( 4. [Why Lagging COVID Vaccine Rate At Rural Hospitals 'Needs To Be Fixed Now']( This emphasis comes as rural hospitals are raising alarms about the pace of vaccination — even among their own employees. [Read more.]( 5. [Biden Raises Refugee Cap To 62,500 After Earlier Criticism]( President Biden announced on Monday that his administration is raising the cap on refugee admissions to 62,500 for this fiscal year, far above the 15,000 limit set by the Trump administration, but below an earlier campaign promise. [Read more.]( Support the news Anything Else? - Bill and Melinda Gates announced last night that they are [getting a divorce]( after 27 years of marriage. The two currently chair the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, now the world's largest private charitable foundation. - WBUR movie critic Sean Burns has shared his [top 10 films to stream at this year's virtual Independent Film Festival Boston](. It runs from Thursday, May 6 through Sunday, May 16, and you always get the best seat in the house – your couch. - The American proclivity for profits prevented effective AIDS treatment from reaching African patients for years, and millions of people died, writes Joia Mukherjee [in this commentary](. The Biden administration can avoid a similar catastrophe by endorsing a patent waiver for COVID vaccines. [WBUR] Your Daily Must Listen [Life Kit | You're Probably Not As Open-Minded As You Think. Here's How To Practice]( [Listen]( COVID-19 RESOURCES [Here's What You Can Do Under The State's New COVID Rules, And When]( CHARTS, MAP: Mass. Vaccine Tracking And COVID Case Counts. [Read more.]( What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution In Mass. [Read more.]( You're Vaccinated. Congrats! Now What Can You Do Safely? [Read more.]( 📬 Stay updated on vaccination news, variants and Boston's road to recovery. [Sign up for our weekly COVID-19 newsletter.]( What We're Reading - A Year Of Disaster At Old Colony: Suicide Attempts, Self-Harm And COVID ([Dig Boston]( - Opinion: Stop Trying To Push Black Candidates Out Of The Mayor’s Race ([The Boston Globe]( - John Swartzwelder, Sage of “The Simpsons” ([The New Yorker]( Tell Me Something Good [He Asked Strangers About Things They Regret Not Saying. The Replies Were Cathartic]( The project began simply enough, with Geloy Concepcion taking photos of his daughter and his wife and sharing them on Instagram. He says it started as a way "to face my own vulnerability," but he soon realized it could "provide a safe place for the things we find hard to confront when we're alone." Before you go: "If you're in Boston and [you can't see a Dunkins]( it's because you're inside of one." 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all editorial newsletters.]( Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. 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