Be wary of giving N.H.’s economy a shot in the arm

So, what game is the governor on our northern border playing by using COVID19 shots as a lure?

Is he truly concerned about the pace of vaccinations in neighboring states — i.e. Massachusetts — or is he just tweaking his not-asRepublican colleague in the Bay State, and trying to pilfer even more tax dollars away in the process?

These are questions only New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu can answer.

Sununu announced last week that New Hampshire will welcome anyone 16 and older from any state to register for a COVID-19 shot starting on April 19 — President Biden’s deadline for states to grant all adults access to vaccines.

Sununu initially pivoted last week from his previous opposition to allowing outof-state college students to receive vaccinations, and then on Friday threw the door wide open for any eligible individual, regardless of residency, to sign up for a shot.

“New Hampshire’s vaccine rollout is moving at an incredible pace, and we are incredibly proud of the fact that our success allows the state to offer the vaccine to any person from anywhere beginning on April 19,” Sununu said in a statement. “New Hampshire is getting the job done.”

Yes and no.

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, which bills itself as one of the fastest growing health-related media platforms in that industry, its review of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data as of April 10 indicates that New Hampshire did lead the nation in the percentage of COVID-19 vaccinations administered, almost 92% of the doses received.

Massachusetts ranked

12th at just under 84%.

However, Massachusetts and three other New England states — Maine, Connecticut, Vermont – were ranked in the top 10 in percentage of a state’s population that’s been fully inoculated, while New Hampshire lagged in 20th place.

These numbers would suggest that though efficient, New Hampshire, with just 23% of its residents fully vaccinated, could be delivering far more doses if it had more supplies, which is the case with virtually every other state.

All New Hampshire residents age 16 and older have been eligible for the vaccine since April 2. It was previously reported that according to Elizabeth Daley, chief of the state Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, roughly 60% of that population has either been vaccinated or made an appointment to get one.

But there’s a big difference between scheduling a shot and actually receiving one. That lead time could be several days away.

That’s why we can’t understand how Sununu can make sanguine statements of the kind he issued on Thursday: “We’re going to have a lot of vaccine” in New Hampshire. “It’s kind of a first-come, first-serve for anyone from out of state.”

That contradicts his own state’s COVID-19 website, which specifically indicates vaccine supplies and appointments are limited.

After a bumpy beginning, Massachusetts’ vaccination performance has surpassed most states’ efforts.

More than 4.3 million shots have gone into arms of its residents, and nearly 1.7 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to Friday’s state Department of Public Health report; that number of fully vaccinated exceeds New Hampshire’s entire population.

We can only deduce that the one statistic Gov. Sununu truly cares about is 0%, as in his state’s lack of income and sales taxes.

The Granite State always has shown a knack for exploiting the “New Hampshire advantage” by siphoning revenue from businesses in border communities, as Greater Lowell and the Fitchburg-Leominster area know only too well.

Taking a shot by offering vaccinations that could lead to otherwise not contemplated sales-tax-free purchases may seem tempting to some frustrated by delays in COVID-19 vaccination appointments, but we’d urge Massachusetts’ residents — especially those whose eligibility begins April 19 — to test both states’ registration systems, and not just buy what Sununu is selling.