AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills announced Friday that Maine has reached another milestone in its COVID-19 vaccination effort with more than half of Maine people ages 16 and older now having received their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

As reported today on Maine’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, 50.34 percent of Maine residents age 16 and older have receive their final vaccine dose as of 11:59 p.m. yesterday.

Moreover, nearly 58 percent of eligible Maine residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Maine continues to lead the nation in the percentage of its total population that is fully vaccinated, according to Bloomberg.

“Maine continues to make nation-leading progress in getting shots into arms, a testament to the willingness of Maine people to do their part and to the teamwork of State government professionals and our health care providers and volunteers,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I am proud to report that more than half of Maine people have received their final dose of a vaccine – but there is more work to do to get this pandemic behind us. We will continue our efforts to expand access to the vaccine, to get into hard-to-reach communities, and to deliver shots into arms. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated so that we can defeat this virus and its variants and get back to normal as soon as possible.”

“We’ve put over 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of Maine people, a remarkable achievement made possible through our collaboration with health care providers, volunteers, and countless others throughout the state,” said Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. “But now it is time to work harder to vaccinate more people to save lives and protect our communities ahead of the summer season. Meanwhile, we thank every Mainer who has gotten a shot and ask them to encourage their friends, family, and neighbors to make an appointment.”

“COVID-19 vaccines are a vital tool against the pandemic,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “This milestone is worthy of recognition and celebration. But we must continue to take the threat of this virus seriously by continuing to wear masks, practice physical distancing, avoid crowds, and stay home if we don’t feel well to protect the health and safety of our loved ones and communities.”

Maine prioritized older residents for vaccination given their increased risk of serious illness or death. To date, more than 70 percent of residents age 50 and older have gotten their first or final doses.

Moreover, 43 percent of Maine residents ages 16 to 49 have had their first doses and nearly 30 percent have received final doses.

Since Maine launched its COVID-19 vaccination effort in mid-December, more than 1.2 million doses have been administered throughout the state.

All Maine residents ages 16 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.