CVS Health, Walgreens pharmacies to roll out COVID-19 vaccines in Massachusetts
CVS Health and Walgreens pharmacies are set to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines in Massachusetts, one of the the first states in the nation to launch the COVID-19 CDC Pharmacy Partnership – Phase 1 with both pharmacies.
The Baker-Polito Administration announced that starting this week, at least 15 CVS Health and Walgreens, located in areas of Massachusetts where there is currently less access to convenient vaccine sites, will receive a total of 10,000 COVID-19 vaccines to administer this week.
The first 15 locations are located in Greenfield, Fall River, Salem, South Yarmouth, Pittsfield, Lee, Holden, Gardner, Hyannis, Mashpee, Somerset, Fairhaven, Haverhill, Saugus and Danvers. Eligible residents in Phase One priority groups can view sites and book an appointment today.
Approximately 40 vaccination sites will be added the week of Jan. 25 through current partners and collaboration with additional partners (Wegmans, Big Y, Price Chopper, Stop & Shop, Hannaford).
Fenway Park will become the state’s second mass vaccination site, the first being Gillette Stadium. The ballpark will open on Feb. 1 to start administering up to 500 vaccines per day to eligible residents in the Phase 1 priority groups.
The site is expected to stay open through the beginning of baseball season in early April. The Command Center is also working with the City of Boston to identify and set up a longer-term vaccine site in Boston.
The Baker-Polito administration also announced that the UMass Amherst vaccination site will expand to provide inoculations for eligible residents in Phase 1 priority groups. UMass Amherst has been providing vaccines to first responders, and plans to now offer vaccines to all eligible residents in Phase 1 priority groups immediately.
Finally, to increase vaccine access for Phase 1 eligible priority groups, the Baker-Polito Administration is launching the Hospital Depot Initiative. This new program will facilitate access to COVID-19 vaccines for independent physician practices prioritized under Phase 1.
The Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center and DPH, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Medical Society and Mass General Brigham, is managing this initiative starting with COVID-facing health care workers.
The state have been identified as a depot to assist the Commonwealth with its vaccination distribution efforts. For clinical practices that are unable, due to their staff size and storage capacity, to receive larger, direct allocations of vaccine, a depot hospital will receive doses on their behalf and redistribute vaccine and all ancillary materials for office-based vaccination. In some cases, the hospital will provide direct vaccination to health care workers. The Massachusetts Medical Society is managing communications and coordination with physician practices.
Participating hospitals include: Mass General Brigham, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Brockton Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Baystate Medical Center and Berkshire Medical Center.