Phase 2 Individuals Now Eligible to Book Vaccination Appointment; Delays to be Expected
GEORGETOWN — Health Agent Deb Rogers and the Town of Georgetown report the state announced yesterday that the next wave of residents eligible through phase two of the state’s vaccination distribution plan can begin booking appointments.
Residents are now eligible to begin making appointments include those 65-years-old and older, including residents and staff of low income and affordable public and private senior housing, as well as those 16-years-old and older with two or more comorbidities. Eligible comorbidities include moderate to severe asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, down syndrome, heart conditions, immunocompromised individuals from a solid organ transplant, obesity and severe obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, smoking and type two diabetes mellitus.
State officials shared on Wednesday that Massachusetts is currently receiving approximately 110,000 first doses of the vaccine per week.
Everyone is asked to remain patient as they seek appointments, as there is a very limited supply at this time of vaccinations and they are in extremely high demand. Approximately 1 million Massachusetts residents are eligible through the latest wave of the distribution plan, and it is believed those individuals may need to wait more than one month before they can book an appointment to receive their first dose. Only 70,000 appointments will be posted at mass vaccination sites statewide today for booking.
The closest mass vaccination site is at the Double Tree Hotel in Danvers. For additional information on local and regional vaccination sites, click here. Residents may also reach out to their local pharmacy to determine if vaccinations are available at that location.
The state has reported on Thursday that the site and system has crashed at times due to the high demand. As a result, residents may experience issues or delays accessing the site or booking an appointment, and are asked to remain patient.
“When booking an appointment, please keep in mind that one may not be immediately available due to the high demand,” Rogers said. “This has been a challenging time for all of us, and we understand the frustration that many may be feeling while trying to book an appointment. We will continue to provide information to our residents about how to access COVID-19 vaccines through other venues as it becomes available.”
The state also announced a streamlined vaccination plan yesterday, through which only 20 municipalities identified as having had the greatest COVID-19 burden will be able to continue to distribute the vaccine locally. These communities include Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester.
The streamlined vaccination plan seeks to ensure an equitable distribution of vaccines and will also allocate more vaccines to mass vaccination sites, regional sites and pharmacy sites.
For the latest updates regarding vaccination distribution in Massachusetts, click here.
To learn more about frequently asked questions regarding the vaccine, click here.
Those with questions about the vaccine are asked to contact the state by emailing COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov.
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
Those without internet access may also call 211 for assistance making an appointment.
The 211 line can be accessed by dialing 2–1–1 and selecting the prompt for “Help Scheduling a Vaccine Appointment.” The hotline is only available for residents eligible for the vaccine without internet access or who otherwise cannot use the appointment site, and will take calls Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Translators will be available to help through the 211 line. Callers will be able to speak with a live representative who will help them find a nearby vaccination location and make an appointment. For more information about the 211 line, click here.
As always, Georgetown residents can learn the latest about the COVID-19 situation in Georgetown by visiting the town’s COVID-19 portal.
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