New “Metro North COVID-19 Vaccination Partnership” to Open Three Regional Vaccination Sites, Aims to Expand Vaccine Equity
METRO NORTH, MA --
The new Metro North COVID-19 Vaccination Partnership -- a consortium of
nine cities, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), and Tufts University --
announced today that it will open three joint vaccination sites to
expand COVID-19 vaccine access in the metro north area. The regional
partnership was recently approved by the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health as a part of its statewide network of vaccination
locations.
Located
at CHA’s vaccination centers at 176 Somerville Ave. in Somerville and
Encore Boston Harbor in Everett along with Tufts University’s Gantcher
Center in Medford, the three sites will be operated and staffed by the
Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), respective local Boards of Health, and
Tufts University, with CHA serving as the health provider for all three
sites. The sites at the Gantcher Center and Encore started administering
vaccines the first week of May and the Somerville site is expected to
open the second week of May. Cities and towns participating include
Arlington, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Revere,
Somerville, and Winthrop. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is also
helping to coordinate participating municipalities.
“Our
communities and organizations came together to help advance both the
statewide vaccination effort and to bring the vaccine closer to home
especially for our vulnerable residents and workers. These centers aim
to help break down the barriers to vaccine access and increase vaccine
equity by reducing travel, language, and mobility challenges. For all of
us, being ‘in this together’ truly means combining resources and
working together to beat this virus,” explained the Partnership via a
joint statement.
“These
communities have been on the front lines of the pandemic since it first
hit our region in early 2020 and are in dire need of a regional
solution to increasing the rates of vaccination and building vaccine
confidence,” said Mark Fine, Director of Municipal Collaboration at
MAPC. “By banding together to get doses closer to where residents live
and work, we can increase the pace of vaccinations and ensure folks have
access to this critical public health resource regardless of
immigration status, car ownership, English fluency, work hours, or
access to health insurance.”
The
sites will follow CHA’s accessible and supportive vaccine clinic
approach with multilingual services, welcoming signage,
neighborhood-based locations, and accommodations for anyone requiring
seating, shelter, or support as they wait.
"As
a community health system that serves several of the communities that
were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, we are committed to
doing everything we can to help local residents get and stay healthy,"
said Cambridge Health Alliance CEO Assaad Sayah, MD. "The Partnership
will provide consistent and convenient access to COVID-19 vaccinations
and accelerate efforts to get us past this crisis."
The
Partnership applied to DPH with a proposal for the three sites combined
to deliver a minimum of 750 doses per day, the threshold for approval
as a mass vaccination site, with the capacity to deliver as many as
5,000 a day. By uniting to create a cluster of sites, the communities
were able to qualify for approval. The sites will also have the ability
to adjust their staffing in response to changes in vaccine supply.
“Helping
our local communities throughout this public health crisis has been a
priority for Tufts – it’s the right thing to do,” said Tufts University
President Anthony P. Monaco. “We have hosted first responders, hospital
personnel and COVID patients in our dorms, provided testing to our
neighbors and school personnel, supported hard-hit food security
programs, provided grants to struggling nonprofits, and helped launch
affordable pooled testing programs in the Medford and Somerville public
school systems. Serving as a regional mass vaccination site is one more
way we can help, and we’re proud to collaborate with our partners in
this effort.”
Mobile and Popup Vaccination Under Development
The three sites will be open to all Massachusetts residents. Appointments can be made by visiting https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/metronorth. Residents can also visit VaxFinder.mass.gov
or call 211 to register for an appointment at any State site. In an
effort to best serve its vulnerable populations, the Partnership also
successfully requested permission to reserve 25% of vaccine doses for
targeted vaccine clinics for residents of their nine communities. Plans
are being considered for mobile and popup sites designed to reach
underserved persons and areas.
“It’s
been clear from the beginning of the pandemic that to defeat this
virus, we have to work together and we’re fortunate to have the Tufts
University site here in Medford to help us do that,” Medford Mayor
Breanna Lungo-Koehn said. “This joint collaboration between the metro
north cities will bring vaccine distribution directly to our
communities, making vaccinations more efficient, more equitable and more
accessible for our residents.”
The
Tufts University site in Medford will have parking on location and
traffic patterns will be adjusted by the city to ensure an orderly
process at the facility.
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