Town explores ‘mini’ mass vaccination option as state shifts focus

In an ever-evolving cycle of COVID vaccine distribution updates, the town received a bit of good news in that it will be allocated 200 doses for residents of Canton Housing Authority properties. Unfortunately, the town will not be receiving any immediate first-dose vaccines for local distribution.

The town was notified of the allocation for Housing Authority properties earlier this week and on-site clinics will be conducted March 8-9 by staff from the Health, Fire and Police departments.

Fire Chief and Emergency Services Coordinator Charles Doody said the state has decided to focus primarily on high “through-put” sites like Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park and has reallocated vaccine supply from local boards of health to these and other “mass vax” sites. Doody said state officials informed communities that if they wanted to receive future vaccine distributions, they should develop plans to work together and vaccinate a minimum of 750 people per day. The other requirement is that the appointments must be made available on the state’s website for anyone to register.

Doody said essentially, the state would like towns to create mini mass vax sites in keeping with their plan. “There won’t be many towns that can commit to the requirements,” he said. “Canton is working with seven other communities to submit a proposal to stand up one of these mini mass vax sites, but it is in the early stages. The bottom line is the site will not be for Canton residents only and we will be competing with eligible people statewide even though we would be staffing the site and administering vaccines.”

State officials have also informed Canton that anyone who received their first dose from a Canton clinic will be able to receive their second dose at the same location as the first dose. “The state is only denying first dose requests,” Doody said. “Many of the elderly we vaccinated were concerned that they would have to go elsewhere for their second dose. This is not the case.”

According to Doody, the town has vaccinated approximately 400 residents ages 75 and older, 75 first responders, and 100 health care workers.

Canton was one of the few communities to put together a mobile vax team and vaccinate homebound seniors. The town was able to vaccinate seven homebound seniors before the Baker-Polito Administration changed their policy of providing vaccines to communities like Canton. Doody said the town was ready to resume the program but thus far have been denied vaccine supply for the past three weeks …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 26 2021. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.