Friday, February 12, 2021

Senator Rausch: State House Briefing - Feb 10, 2021

 Senator Rausch State House Briefing 

Part 2, Chapter 2 (February 10, 2021) 

 
Dear friends,  

I hope you are staying safe and well. I write with some important updates concerning COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and vaccination sites in our district: 

  1. Vaccinations Scheduling Call Center: The process of signing up for a vaccination appointment online is frustrating and unnecessarily challenging. My colleagues and I are advocating to change that, and we’ve gotten some positive changes already, like being able to search for appointments by zip code. We also advocated for a call center, and got that too. If you are 75+ or scheduling an appointment for an older adult and you are unable to do so online, call 2-1-1 or (877) 211-6277 for assistance. This service is available between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Unfortunately, you should anticipate long wait times on the phone. 

  1. Mass Vaccination Site Coming to Natick: Exciting news for our district! A mass vaccination site is coming to the Natick Mall this month. The first vaccines will be given starting February 22nd, and at full capacity this site will administer up to 3,000 vaccinations daily. Appointments should open up next week. 

  1. Expanded Vaccine Eligibility: Effective Thursday, February 11, an individual who accompanies a person age 75 or older to a mass vaccination site will also be eligible to receive the vaccine, if they have an appointment booked together for the same day. Only one companion is permitted.  

While I am heartened to see certain expansions in vaccine access, I remain very concerned by a lack of racial, economic, and regional equity in COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Last week, I filed the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Act, crafted in collaboration with infectious disease experts and legislative colleagues, to generate exactly that equity. Read more below about my efforts to make vaccine distribution more equitable within our Commonwealth. 
 
Questions and comments about the COVID vaccine distribution plan and implementation can be emailed directly to the Baker administration at COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov. I welcome constituents to copy me on those emails as well. 
 
As always, if you or any of your loved ones in my district have fallen on hard times during this pandemic, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office via phone (617-722-1555) or email (becca.rausch@masenate.gov). We are here to help. You can also find robust resources to help you navigate through COVID-19 on my website.  

Yours in service,  

Senator Becca Rausch

 

Senator Rausch: State House Briefing - Feb 10, 2021
Senator Rausch: State House Briefing - Feb 10, 2021

 

No comments:

Post a Comment