Just Over Half Of Melrose Has Been Boosted

MELROSE, MA — Just over half of eligible Melrose residents have been boosted against COVID-19, with the majority of them being people over the age of 30.

Booster shots are currently available for anyone 12 and older. In Melrose, that means 26,695 people, 14,545 of which have been boosted — a 54 percent clip, according to information provided by the city's Health Department Tuesday morning.

Sixty-four percent of those 30 and older have been boosted, with the highest rates coming in those 65 and older.

Thirty-eight percent of those ages 12-29 have gotten the booster shot. That number is lowest in the 12-15 age group, where just 23 percent have been boosted — a segment of the population that has only been eligible for the shot for less than a month.

Melrose boasts one of the highest vaccination rates in Massachusetts, with 91 percent of eligible residents getting at least one dose of the vaccine. But booster shots have been less prevalent.

• Melrose To Revisit Mask Mandate Next Week

The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone eligible get a booster shot, which have been shown to further reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.

While the CDC's definition of "fully vaccinated" does not include getting a booster shot, it does deem people "up-to-date" after they get boosted when eligible. Melrose Health Director Anthony Chui said Melrose is considering adopting the same definitions.

For those interested in getting the booster, Wakefield is hosting a vaccine clinic Feb. 9 at the Hurd School. You can pre-register here.

You can also use the state's Vax Finder website here.