Lucky people 18-plus in Boston score coronavirus vaccine before Massachusetts expands eligibility
The vaccine clinic at Russell Auditorium in Dorchester was the hottest place in town Monday for young people.
That’s where precious coronavirus vaccines for a lucky few people 18 years old and up were being administered weeks before Massachusetts expands the age eligibility to the general public.
Young people from Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan rushed to the clinic after seeing on social media that vaccines were being offered to those who live or work in those three Boston neighborhoods — which have been hard hit by the virus.
The state’s age eligibility rules are for people 55-plus, and will expand to 18-plus in two weeks. But before that happens on April 19, some young people were simply able to walk in to the Dorchester clinic without an appointment and get a shot.
When the Herald arrived Monday afternoon, there was a long line of young people waiting in the parking lot.
Shayna Sheehan, a 24-year-old Dorchester resident, left the clinic with a huge smile.
“I’m a resident of Dorchester, and they were offering it for free if you were over 18, so it was super great to be a part of it,” Sheehan said outside the clinic on Talbot Avenue after getting the shot.
Buzz all over social media caused residents to hurry down to the clinic, which is a partnership between Boston Medical Center and Codman Square Health Center.
Another under-55 resident said she saw on a neighborhood Facebook group that they were giving out the shot to any local resident or worker.
“So we just rushed right down,” said the resident, who declined to be named. “And now we don’t have to wait a couple more weeks.”
But don’t change your plans today. It appears that people 18-plus from those neighborhoods will have to be patient until April 19.
Boston Medical Center in a statement Monday evening said the clinic had stopped vaccinating people who are 18-plus.
“Due to an error made in the clinic’s pre-registration process, the community vaccination clinic run by Boston Medical Center and local partners at Russell Auditorium began vaccinating community residents 18 and older,” Boston Medical Center said.
“The clinic has ceased vaccinations for that age group, and we are adhering to state guidelines in advance of full eligibility later this month,” the hospital added.
A state Department of Public Health spokesperson earlier in the day told the Herald that the agency was “not aware of any special arrangement/permission for this site to exceed current eligibility rules.”
By Monday evening, the DPH had reached out to Boston Medical Center, and the state agency was looking into the matter.
Spokespeople for the City of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commission both deferred to Boston Medical Center and the organizations running the vaccination site.
There were no Boston Medical Center posts advertising the clinic for people 18-plus.
The state on Monday expanded the vaccine eligibility to people 55-plus and those with one specific medical condition. Certain essential workers have qualified for weeks.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3fHvWrl
Post a Comment