Vaccine hesitancy remains low in Maine, bucking rural-state trends Read full article April 18, 2021, 4:33 AM·3 min read Apr. 18—Hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine has remained low in Maine while appointments have remained in high demand, bucking a trend toward unfilled slots and low uptake seen in other rural states. More than 600,000 Mainers have received at least one vaccine dose, accounting for about 54 percent of the eligible adult population. All Mainers aged 16 and older became eligible for the vaccine last week. Maine ranks 11th-lowest in vaccine hesitancy among U.S. states, according to survey data analyzed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with 12.3 percent of the adult population considered hesitant and 7.8 percent strongly hesitant. Other New England states rank better, with Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut occupying the top three spots, all with less than 10 percent of their populations hesitant and less than 4 percent strongly hesitant.