HYANNIS – Governor Charlie Baker recently announced the state’s distribution plan for first responders, the third group to be vaccinated as part of Phase 1 of Baker’s distribution plan after front-line health care workers and long-term care facilities.
The distribution plan continues as 287,000 vaccine doses have been shipped to health care providers, with over 116,000 doses administered to COVID-facing employees according to the Massachusetts Immunization Information System.
Baker said that there can be up to a couple of days in lag when it comes to providers reporting vaccination data, so the actual number is expected to be higher.
Long term care facility vaccinations to both residents and staff also began at the end of last month.
“The vast majority of eligible residents in both our hospitals and long-term care facilities as well as staff appear to be eager and willing to get the first dose of the vaccine,” said Baker.
As health care workers continue to get vaccinated, the state is in the process of finalizing plans to also vaccinate first responders.
There are over 45,000 first responders in the state that will be eligible to receive the vaccine, including fire fighters, police officers and EMTs, said Baker.
“These men and women put their lives on the line regularly back before we have COVID-19, and for the last ten months they’ve kept on working the front lines, protecting and caring for residents across Massachusetts,” said Baker.
“Beginning on January 11, first responders will begin receiving vaccinations everyday, and this vaccine will protect them from COVID and the terrible illness that can come with it.”
There are three options planned by the state for first responders to get vaccinated, said Baker.
The first option is allowing departments to request on-site vaccinations.
Baker said that there are certain criteria required for this option, including vaccinating at least 200 individuals.
Qualifying departments must also have the necessary means to store vaccines, which can require extremely frigid temperatures only attainable by specialty equipment.
The second option is first responders may schedule a vaccination appointment at one of more than 60 sites planned across the Commonwealth.
Site locations are available at the mass.gov website, with appointments available in the coming days, said Baker.
Third, Baker said that mass vaccination sites are being planned by the state for first responders and will be finalized in the coming weeks.
A map of the mass vaccination sites will also be on the mass.gov website, said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, who also said that they are expecting to administer 2,000 vaccines a day at the mass sites.
As vaccinations continue, the State Department of Public Health designed a new, interactive dashboard for all COVID-19 data, said Baker.
DPH has been making daily updates since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts on testing data, hospitalizations, and case numbers across the state.
The new dashboard will allow users to search by specific criteria and review earlier time periods, said Baker.
The new dashboard is accessed at the same web address, mass.gov/covid, and will continue to be updated at 5 pm every day.
“We hope that as more doctors and nurses get vaccinated and share their experiences, they’ll tell patients why it’s safe and effective for them to do so as well. All of this translates to brighter days ahead, but we still have some tough days in front of us.”
Baker urged residents to follow COVID safety protocols as vaccines continue to roll out, even in informal settings with friends and loved ones that are from outside the household.
He also asked residents to continue to stay home unless going to work or school, and to avoid gatherings whenever possible.
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