Boston Globe – On Remote Maine Islands, a Mission to Vaccinate

by | Mar 10, 2021 | COVID-19 Updates, Island Health, Island Outreach, John Zavodny, Maine Seacoast Mission, News, Sunbeam

Registered nurse Maureen Giffin prepared vaccines for residents at Isle au Haut Town Hall on the second day of distribution. The hall served as a combination of the town offices, gym, and only library on the island.Erin Clark/Globe Staff

On remote Maine islands, a mission to vaccinate
By Brian MacQuarrie Globe Staff,Updated March 9, 2021, 7:29 p.m.

MATINICUS, Maine — The two dozen winter residents of Matinicus Island, give or take a few, lined up off a muddy road, distanced and masked, many wearing the plaid flannel shirts, paint-spattered jeans, and fisherman’s waders that could pass for a uniform here.

It was COVID-19 vaccination day on Matinicus, which lies farther in the Atlantic Ocean than any other inhabited island of the United States. And everyone was welcome. All ages, all health conditions, and all who were motivated to protect one another in a remote place about 20 miles from the mainland.

“We know the virus can come with anybody,” said George Tarkleson, the 66-year-old town manager of the rugged island, whose population swells to about 125 in the summer.

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