Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine buddy system will expand eligibility to people accompanying adults over 75 – Boston Herald

Younger neighbors, spouses and friends who accompany people 75 and older to coronavirus vaccine appointments at any of the states mass vaccination sites will be able to get shots too starting Thursday even if they dont currently meet eligibility requirements, the governors office announced.

We hope this change will encourage more 75 and older residents to get their vaccine at mass vaccination sites, which have the most availability, Baker said following a tour of the vaccination site at the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers.

Health Secretary Marylou Sudders told reporters it helps mass vaccination sites become that much more age-friendly and for older adults during a Wednesday morning briefing.

Joan Hatem-Roy, chief executive officer of Elder Services of Merrimack Valley Inc. called the move a game-changer for people who might be intimidated by the size and scope of the large vaccination centers, but others raised questions over equity.

Life expectancy in some of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 is actually less than 75, Rep. Mike Connolly, D-Cambridge said, pointing to alarming inequities in the number of Black and Latino residents vaccinated so far compared to their white counterparts.

The state has been under pressure to expand access following the bungled vaccine roll out for people over 75 where many had issues booking appointments and navigating the states online scheduling interface. Fewer than half the 437,000 Massachusetts residents over 75 have been vaccinated so far, according to state health data.

The announcement comes as the state revealed the locations of two more mass vaccination sites, but notably left Cape Cod out of the mix. An additional 30 pharmacies across the state are also slated to start giving shots.

A Natick Mall location, run by LabCorp, will begin vaccinations on Feb. 22 and ramp up to 3,000 shots per day

Another site at an abandoned Circuit City in Dartmouth opens Feb. 24 and will eventually vaccinate 2,000 people per day.

Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, decried a lack of access for his constituents.

Cape Cod has the oldest population of any county in Massachusetts, but inexplicably Governor Baker has not authorized a state mass vaccination site anywhere closer than 50 miles from the canal bridges, Cyr said.

Longmeadow Democrat Sen. Eric Lesser said Western Massachusetts is also suffering from a lack of access.

Frankly, Western Mass is at higher risk and before COVID, faced deeper health inequities than any other area of the state, he said.

Lesser also blasted the administration for contracting with Curative to run the Dartmouth site, which is under fire for operations at Springfields Eastfield Mall.

Dozens of seniors were caught standing in lines out in the cold and the mayor had to call in police details to assist with traffic earlier in the week, he said.

Baker on Wednesday said improvements were being made.

It feels like the state is playing whack-a-mole and dealing with problems as they arise rather than being proactive, Lesser said.

The state will also announced an additional 103,000 more appointments would be made available this week including 53,000 at mass vaccination sites.

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Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine buddy system will expand eligibility to people accompanying adults over 75 - Boston Herald