Town of Bridgewater Shares Update on Vaccination Efforts, Clinic Registration Information

Residents Encouraged to Check State Website for Updates

BRIDGEWATER — Town Manager Michael Dutton and Health Agent Eric Badger wish to share an update regarding the Town of Bridgewater’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts and information regarding vaccination clinic registration.

On Monday, Jan. 25, the state announced that it has restructured Phase Two of the vaccination distribution plan so that the following groups will be vaccinated, in order:

• Individuals 75-years-old and older. 
• Individuals 65-years-old and older and individuals with two or more comorbidities, meaning they have a condition that puts them at risk for severe illness should they contract COVID-19. To review these conditions, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here. 
• Early education and K-12 workers, transit, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers
• Individuals with one comorbidity 

Individuals who are 75-years-old and older can begin receiving their vaccines on Monday, Feb. 1, and are now able to make an appointment at a vaccination site near them.

Bridgewater Vaccination Clinics

The Town of Bridgewater will become eligible to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics once the town’s Phase One process is completed on Feb. 18. Furthermore, vaccines are expected to become available in Bridgewater to Phase Two groups no earlier than Feb. 22.

While the Town of Bridgewater plans to host multiple vaccination clinics for seniors 75 and older, these clinics are dependent on the town securing vaccine doses. As a result, the clinics will likely be arranged on short notice.

The proposed clinics will be hosted at multiple sites located near senior housing and the Bridgewater Senior Center, and are expected to run in four-hour increments over several days. Only residents 75 and older will be eligible to receive vaccinations at these clinics.

At the clinics, town employees will assist with data inputting. All patient data must be input prior to inoculations at the clinics. Nurses and paramedics are prepared to prep the inoculations and administer them, and to staff post-inoculation observation. 

At this time, no further details regarding the clinics are available. Once clinics are confirmed, details will be communicated to those eligible to receive the vaccine. 

Senior residents interested in receiving information once it becomes available can call the Elder Service’s Office information line at 508-697-0929 ext. 9. Seniors can also leave their name and email or phone number to receive additional information via email or robocall.

“Following our experiences administering the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase One, we are extremely confident in our planning and training efforts for Phase Two,” Town Manager  Dutton said. “We have extreme confidence that our local plan will be successful in its execution once we receive our vaccine shipments. Until then, we ask residents to either schedule their vaccinations at an alternate location, or remain patient until we receive vaccines for our own clinics.”

Town officials will continue to monitor the situation and share updates, such as specific dates of when the vaccine may become available to more people, as that information becomes available.

Registering at a Current Vaccine Site

To view a map of vaccination sites, click here. The closest vaccination sites for Bridgewater residents are the Halifax Stop and Shop, Middleborough Hannaford and Gillette Stadium.

All sites require an appointment. To make an appointment at a vaccination site:

• Visit mass.gov/COVID-vaccine to find your phase and priority group
• If you’re eligible, visit mass.gov/COVIDVaccineMap to find a vaccine clinic near you
• Make an appointment online and fill out the attestation form

There is no cost to obtain the vaccine, but patients will be required to present their insurance and identification cards, as well as the attestation form found here. Individuals must present proof of their eligibility to receive the vaccine.

It is recommended that those eligible for the vaccine visit the webpage to select a location and make an appointment as soon as they become eligible. However, residents should note that while the state is creating more mass vaccination sites and they may become eligible to receive the vaccination in the coming weeks, vaccination distribution is contingent on the number of physical vaccinations available. Residents are encouraged to check the appointment webpage often as new locations and additional appointments are added. 

Residents are reminded that a second dose of the vaccine is required and you must receive the second dose at the same facility that you received the first dose.  

The state has not yet announced when individuals 65-years-old and older and those with two or more comorbidities will be able to receive the vaccine. This will be announced when more information is available about additional doses of the vaccine to be provided to the state by the federal government. 

The general public will not be eligible to receive the vaccine until April. To review the full vaccination distribution timeline, click here. 

For the latest updates regarding vaccination distribution in Massachusetts, click here. To learn more about frequently asked questions regarding the vaccine, click here.

Stay Informed about the Status of COVID-19 in Town

According to public health data released on Thursday, Jan. 28, the Town’s designation remains at “Red,” indicating a “high risk” of spread in the community. The average daily incidence rate for the Town of Bridgewater is 76.4 per 100,000 residents, down from 89.9 last week.

Bridgewater officials report that there are currently 306 active cases of COVID-19 in the community. There have been a total of 2,006 cases in Bridgewater since the start of the pandemic.

The Town of Bridgewater also stresses the importance of following state and CDC guidelines pertaining to social distancing, mask wearing and proper hygiene, as well as limiting gatherings between people not of the same household. 

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