Report: Many State Police Employees Have Not Been Vaccinated

About 30% of Massachusetts State Police employees have not received a COVID-19 vaccination even though the department has offered shots at its own clinics, according to state data.

As of Friday, 2,002 of 2,847 eligible State Police employees, including civilians, had received at least one dose at one of the department clinics in Framingham, Plymouth, or Chicopee, according to data released in response to a Boston Globe request.

Some who have not been vaccinated at a department clinic may have received a vaccine elsewhere or may have declined because of medical conditions, although the exact numbers are unclear, department spokesperson David Procopio said.

The union that represents troopers and sergeants said it has not taken a position on vaccines.

The only guidance the union has given its 1,900 members was to consult with their personal physicians, said Nancy Sterling, a spokesperson the State Police Association of Massachusetts.

It's unclear if there is vaccine hesitancy.

“We don’t know if there is any hesitancy. There certainly could be. It’s not something we’re asking about,” Sterling said.

Dr. David Hamer, an infectious disease expert at Boston University, said vaccinating state troopers is important because of their close encounters with the public.