Mass Vaccination Site to Be Launched in Danvers
IPSWICH — Town Manager Anthony Marino, Public Health Director Colleen Fermon and Director of Senior Services Sheila Taylor report that Gov. Charlie Baker announced an update to Phase Two of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan yesterday.
The state 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 can make an appointment at a vaccination site near them. To view a map of vaccination sites, click here. All sites require an appointment.
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. The State of Massachusetts, at this time, is prepared to distribute more vaccinations than it has.
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.
Ipswich residents age 75-years-old and older without internet access can call the Senior Center at 978-356-6650 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for help registering for a vaccination appointment. The Senior Center is also able to assist residents who need access to transportation or have other health issues that impede their ability to visit a vaccination site.
On Monday, the Baker-Polito Administration also announced a new mass vaccination site will be opened at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Danvers on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Ipswich residents eligible to be vaccinated through Phase One of the distribution plan as well as those 75-years-old and older can begin making online appointments for the Danvers vaccination site on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
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
The Ipswich Public Health Department is also partnering with Conley’s Drug Store, a local independent community pharmacy on High Street, to provide a local site for the distribution of vaccinations to eligible residents age 75-years-old and older of senior housing locations. Details regarding other vaccination options for residents 75-years-old and older will be shared with the community as soon as they become available.
Although residents’ insurance companies will be billed, there is no cost for receiving the vaccination. Do not sign up to receive any vaccine that requires you to pay on your own.
Two other new vaccination sites were also announced on Monday, one at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield will open on Friday, Jan. 29 and another will open at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston during the first week of February. These three newest mass vaccination sites are in addition to two others previously announced at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park. To read the Baker-Polito Administration’s full announcement from Monday, click here.
For more information about COVID-19 prevention and symptoms, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website here and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website here.
For the latest COVID-19 updates for the Town of Ipswich, visit ipswichcovid19.com.
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