Baker Outlines Next COVID Vaccine Distribution Phase

HYANNIS – Governor Charlie Baker recently outlined plans to begin COVID-19 vaccinations for congregate care settings, the next group in Phase 1 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan.

Residential congregate care and shelter programs and correctional facilities within Phase 1 of the plan will begin vaccinations on Monday, January 18. 

This group includes over 94,000 individuals, both residents and staff, statewide.

Group homes, residential treatment programs, community-based acute residential treatment programs, and clinical stabilization service programs, emergency shelter programs including homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and Veterans’ shelters, as well as approved private special education schools offering residential services are included in this part of Phase 1.

Correctional facilities will also begin vaccinations for both staff and inmates. 

Some congregate care vaccinations already began in some facilities that were enrolled in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program with CVS and Walgreens. 

Congregate care facilities have three options available to them for vaccination, including self-administration if the organization has the capability to receive and deliver doses while following Department of Public Health requirements.

Programs with existing pharmacy relationships can also leverage their partnerships to administer COVID-19 vaccines, including programs and partnerships with healthcare services that would usually administer the regular flu vaccine. 

Mass vaccination sites will can be utilized for congregate care settings, said the Baker-Polito Administration, including the first of these sites at Gillette Stadium that will launch on Monday, January 18. 

More mass vaccination sites are being planned by the state’s COVID-19 Command Center, and will require appropriate identification to establish that individuals are eligible to receive the vaccine as part of the current phase of distribution.

“As we move through the priority groups, our administration will continue to work with stakeholders to provide detailed information on when and where they can get vaccinated,” said Governor Baker.

For the Department of Correction (DOC), vaccinations are expected to begin next week and last for three weeks to inoculate all residents and staff, said the Administration. 

Medical provider Wellpath will provide inmates with their vaccines. 

Regional vaccine sites for staff are being worked on by DOC, and vaccines will be administered by Armstrong and Brewster Ambulance staff. 

Phase 2 of the state’s distribution plan was also updated, now allowing residents and staff of public and private low income and affordable senior housing to be included in step one of Phase 2 of the plan.

“Our administration is working around the clock to ramp up this distribution process, and to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to administer these vaccines as they come to us,” said Baker.

“Vaccines are obviously a critical part of getting back to normal, but we still have to hold on a little while longer and do the things that we know work.”

The distribution plan for the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on mass.gov/covidvaccine

About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019.



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