Feds Raise MA's Allotment Of Coronavirus Vaccine

MASSACHUSETTS — State officials expect to receive 170,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine this week, a modest increase from the 155,000 Massachusetts has been given by the federal government in previous weeks.

The shipment, which Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday, includes 8,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine. The shipment came as a surprise to state officials, who had been told not to expect any more Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March as the company ramped up production of the recently-approved drug.

The remainder of the delivery includes the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna. The state has seen a slow but steady increase of the number of doses it receives each week, starting with the first shipment of 100,000 doses in early January. The 170,000 doses do not include about 95,000 doses being distributed directly to pharmacies this week under a separate federal program.

All three companies have said the amount of vaccine they can produce and distribute should increase dramatically in the coming weeks. But Massachusetts does not expect to move onto the next phase of its vaccination program, where all state residents will be eligible to get the shot, until next month.

As of Monday, 914,927, or 13 percent of, Massachusetts residents had been fully-vaccinated.