AGAWAM – Agawam’s vaccination rate is slightly higher than the county’s average, but Public Health Nurse Sherry Petrucci says more work needs to be done.

“Agawam is slightly above the county vaccination rate; we are doing well, but can do better,” she said in a release provided to Reminder Publishing by the office of Mayor William Sapelli.

While Massachusetts is among the national leaders in vaccination rate, Hampden County – including Agawam – is lagging behind most of the state, Petrucci said.

“Massachusetts residents have been pro-active in getting vaccinated against COVID-19.  Massachusetts is right behind Vermont with the largest percentage of residents fully vaccinated with 64 percent versus 67 percent for Vermont,” Petrucci said, citing Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) statistics dated July 29. “However, Hampden County has the lowest vaccination rate in Massachusetts with only 50 percent fully vaccinated. On a local level, Agawam has 54 percent  of those eligible vaccinated.”

According to MDPH statistics Agawam’s vaccination rates are 31 percent of residents ages 12 to 15, 50 percent for ages 16 to 19, 46 percent for ages 20 to 29, 57 percent for ages 30 to 49 years old, 66 percent for ages 50 to 64, 79 percent for ages 65 to 74, and 70 percent for those 75 and older.

While she did not offer evidence of the presence of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus in town, because it has been identified in the state, “we can assume it is in Agawam,” she said. “According to MDPH it has been identified in approximately 50 percent of the samples tested for the variant.”

Petrucci explained vaccinated residents have a decreased chance of contracting the delta variant and if they do, the symptoms are “usually mild or nonexistent.” This, she said, stands in contrast of unvaccinated persons whose symptoms “are more severe, resulting in hospitalization.”

Vaccination sites are available in Agawam at the CVS pharmacies located at 287 Springfield St and 163 Silver St., the Walgreens at 60 Springfield St. and the Stop & Shop Pharmacy in Feeding Hills at 1282 Springfield St.

Currently, the Pfizer vaccine, a two-dose series, is the only approved vaccine for emergency use in ages 12 years old and older. The Moderna vaccine, also a two-dose series, and the  Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is available in a single dose, are approved for emergency use in those 18 years old and older.

According to Petrucci, CVS carries either Moderna or Pfizer, depending on availability and Stop & Shop carries Pfizer. She did not have information on availability at Walgreens and Reminder Publishing did not receive a response to a request for information from the company as of press time.