'Extremely Frustrating': Seniors On Cape Cod Struggling To Get COVID Vaccine
BOSTON (CBS) - The state's COVID-19 vaccine program has been hampered by a lack of supply, and much confusion over how to sign up and get inoculated. Perhaps nowhere is the frustration being felt more acutely than on Cape Cod.
"It's extremely frustrating," said 81-year-old Peter Clark. After trying to navigate the state's website, Clark gave up, and turned to the 2-1-1 call center, but that didn't go much better. "I tried that this morning, and they couldn't find anything on the Cape either," Clark said. "So I'm not sure what's going on."
The problem, according to many, is the supply of the vaccines just isn't there. State Sen. Julian Cyr said the infrastructure is in place.
"They're ready to go, to administer the vaccines," Cyr said. "Nationwide the demand for the vaccine is far outstripping what the actual supply is."
Census data indicates that 31% of Cape residents are over 65. In Sandwich alone, there are 6,000 residents over 75 and the town is only getting 100 doses per week.
"If you're getting 100 vaccines a week, and you have 6,000 people in a priority grouping, it's very easy to do the math," said Fire Chief J.J. Burke. "We're in 2026 before we've vaccinated everybody."
Visit Mass.Gov/CovidVaccine to find out when you're eligible and to book an appointment.