Gov. Charlie Baker said Massachusetts will reach two million vaccinated residents by the end of this week but that the process could be going faster if federal suppliers were more consistent with what they send the state — especially with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"The thing we'd really like is the same sort of predictability and visibility into the J&J vaccine that we've had into Moderna and Pfizer," Baker said at a press conference at Family Health Center of Worcester, where he was touring a community vaccination clinic.
After receiving 100,000 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week, Massachusetts was given just over 12,000 doses this week. Baker said that inconsistency prevents the state from taking advantage of mobile vaccination vehicles and other programs that rely on the simpler vaccine.
"If the feds can amp the supply, as we've proven, we have tons of capacity to actually absorb it," Baker said.
The New York Times reported last week that supplies of the Johnson & Johnson formula are expected to be reduced nationwide because of supply-chain and manufacturing problems at a Baltimore plant.
Massachusetts remains one of the top-performing large states when it comes to vaccinations and the number one state for vaccinated total population in states with over five million people.
"Over 4.5 million total doses have been administered to people across the Commonwealth, and more than 1.7 million people in Massachusetts are now fully vaccinated," Baker said.
