Vaccine Capacity Update / New Sites Announcement
Press Release: 02-10-21
Appointments continue to be added at vaccination sites statewide. On February 11, 2021 at 8:30 A.M., 53,000 new appointments at mass vaccination sites will be posted online at the following locations: Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, and Fenway Park in Boston.
Over the course of this week, over 50,000 pharmacy appointments will be added on a daily basis and another 14,000 appointments will be added at 35 community health centers across MA. Other provider sites, like health care providers and local vaccine clinics, are adding almost 40,000 appointments over the course of this week.
All appointments can be scheduled online by visiting Mass.Gov/COVIDVaccine or residents 75+ can call 2-1-1 to get assistance in booking an appointment if they’re unable to utilize the website.
MA will continue to add capacity through mass vaccination sites which are high output locations where vaccines can be administered quickly and efficiently.
Two new mass vaccination sites will open later this month:
- The Natick Mall in Natick on February 22, 2021
- Circuit City in Dartmouth on February 24, 2021
Both sites will be open to all eligible residents and will start with approximately 500 doses per day, scaling up at the Dartmouth site to approximately 2,000 doses per day, and the Natick site will scale up to approximately 3,000 doses per day.
Appointments for both new sites will be available to book on Mass.Gov/COVIDVaccine beginning on February 18, 2021.
75+ Caregiver Eligibility
On February 1, 2021, vaccination administration began for residents 75+. These residents have been getting shots for the last 10 days and during that time we have learned that some people might be hesitant to go to a mass vaccination location without a relative or a caregiver. This policy goes into effect on February 11, 2021. It is not applicable for appointments that have already been booked.
To support more 75+ residents getting to a mass vax site, we are announcing a new policy to allow one caregiver to join a 75+ resident and also schedule their own appointment for a vaccine at the same time. Any caregiver is eligible to receive the vaccine at the same time as the 75+ resident, provided they have an appointment.
While this policy change applies specifically to the mass vaccination locations, Local Boards of Health (LBOH)-run clinics may choose to also allow for this. Information about eligibility will need to be changed by the LBOH in their clinic descriptions and information should be shared with your Council on Aging (COAs) and others for consistent messaging.
Caregivers will be required to self-attest that they are accompanying a 75+ resident who could not otherwise get to or navigate the online vaccination site when they fill out the attestation form (including the attestation form in PrepMod).
Appointments for 75+ residents and their caregivers should be scheduled for the same day, as close together as possible.
If both the caregiver and 75+ resident are unable to use or have difficultly accessing the internet, they may call 2-1-1 for assistance booking both appointments.
Please click HERE for additional information about the caregiver / companion eligibility (Massachusetts Caregiver / Companion COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility.
Important Reminder: Even if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, it is still mandatory to wear a mask in MA (Order #55).