Hotline Available Only to Those 75-Years-Old and Older
IPSWICH — Town Manager Anthony Marino and Public Health Director Colleen Fermon are pleased to share that the Baker-Polito Administration has created a 211 hotline for residents 75-years-old and older to call for assistance with making vaccination appointments.
Residents 75-years-old and older became eligible for the vaccination on Monday, Feb. 1 through the state’s vaccination distribution plan. However, those without internet access and others have struggled to make appointments through the state’s online system.
The new 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 75-years-old and older 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.
Residents should note that if there are no appointments available the caller will have an opportunity to put their name on a waitlist and be called back once an appointment at a nearby mass vaccination site is available. The nearest mass vaccination site is at the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers. Appointments on the call-back waitlist will be made on a first come, first served basis.
“We hope this new call line will be a helpful resource as we know many residents 75-years-old and older have struggled to access the online appointment scheduling system and to find available appointments,” Director Fermon said. “We thank our residents for their continued patience and cooperation through this challenging time, and will continue to provide any and all updates as the vaccination becomes more accessible to additional groups of people over the coming weeks and months.”
Residents 75-years-old and older with internet access should continue seeking an appointment online through the state’s website by clicking here. Residents eligible for the vaccine are also advised to contact their local pharmacy and primary care provider to learn about any other potential opportunities available for vaccination. For additional information on local and regional vaccination sites, click here.
Limited local vaccination opportunities are being tentatively planned by appointment only for eligible residents in the community. All updates about vaccination distribution and local vaccination opportunities will be shared through the town’s website www.ipswichma.gov, COVID-19 news blog ipswichcovid19.com, Facebook page @townofipswich, Twitter @TownofIpswich, and by robocall.
The Town of Ipswich uses Smart911 alerts to share important announcements and time-sensitive messages with residents. Residents can sign up for text and email alerts by clicking here.
The next group to become eligible for the vaccination will be individuals 65-years-old and older, those with two or more medical conditions that put them at a high risk for severe illness should they contract the disease, and residents and staff of low income and affordable senior housing. The date for when these individuals will become eligible has not yet been announced by the state. The 211 hotline will also be available to these groups of individuals once they become eligible.
The vaccination is not expected to be available to the general public until April through the state’s vaccination distribution plan. To view the plan, click here.
For the latest COVID-19 updates for the Town of Ipswich, visit ipswichcovid19.com.
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