Town of Brookline Closes Vaccine Call Center, Offers Homebound Residents In-Home Vaccinations

BROOKLINE – The Town of Brookline announces that work at its dedicated vaccine call center has concluded, though residents will still have an opportunity to have questions answered by staff or obtain help with getting vaccinated.

Since opening in late January, the call center handled approximately 5,700 calls to and from residents answering their questions about the availability, safety and efficacy of vaccinations against COVID-19, and helped residents who expressed an interest in becoming vaccinated obtain their shots. 

The call center answered 350 voicemails, and also received approximately 2,500 emails from individuals with a wide range of questions related to the vaccination effort in Brookline and Massachusetts.

“The individuals who supported the call center effort made a huge difference for residents who had questions about getting a vaccine or were unsure about getting vaccinated,” Emergency Management Coordinator Cheryl Anne Snyder said. “I’m grateful to every volunteer who made this work possible. I know that having a person to talk to and have questions answered made a big difference for many residents, and our volunteers were an invaluable part of makingourvaccination efforts successful.” 

Volunteers at the call center proactively reached out to residents who had expressed early interest in getting vaccinated when appointments became available, and also worked with residents with limited computer skills to help them obtain appointments through the state’s online portal. 

While the call center operated by the Emergency Operations Center is no longer staffed, residents may still utilize the number associated with it and their calls will be directed to the Brookline Department of Public Health. The number for general inquiries about COVID-19 and vaccines is: 617-879-5636.

The Brookline Department of Health administered first doses of the vaccine to homebound residents today, and will revisit those residents again later this month to administer their second doses. 

Brookline residents who are homebound and unable to go to a clinic site or pharmacy may call 617-879-5636 to inquire about being vaccinated in their homes. 

“I want to thank all of the volunteers who dedicated their time to support the critically important work of helping residents understand the vaccination process and connect them with appointments,” Health Commissioner Dr. Swannie Jett said. “While the call center has been deactivated, Department of Public Health staff remain readily available to answer residents’ questions and support their efforts to get vaccinated and help us move further toward our goal of putting the pandemic behind us.” 

The Town of Brookline has made answers to frequently asked questions available on its COVID-19 portal, which can be accessed directly by visiting BrooklineCOVID19.com/vaccineFAQ.

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