Massachusetts residents seeking coronavirus vaccines were competing for fewer than normal re-visits on Thursday morning at the state’s mass vaccination sites, even while there were signs of progress with vaccine administration. newly approved Johnson & Johnson started locally.
No new appointments were available at several mass vaccination sites on Thursday, according to a message posted on the state’s Twitter around 7 am on Thursday. New appointments at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and the Reggie Lewis Center were not available due to a limited supply of federal vaccine and “a large number of previously scheduled second dose appointments”.
The message advised qualified residents to seek consultations at other mass vaccination sites, including the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers, the Natick Mall in Natick, the former Circuit City in Dartmouth and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield.
Due to limited federal supply and a large number of previously scheduled second dose consultations, first dose consultations are no longer available today at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium or Reggie Lewis Center. Check availability at other locations.
– Mass.gov (@MassGov) March 4, 2021
The state COVID-19 Response Command Center later clarified to the Globe that no new appointments had been made available at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park or the Reggie Lewis Center on Thursday.
New consultations for the state’s mass vaccination centers are released every Thursday, but only about 12,000 were dispatched on Thursday morning. That dropped from 50,000 last week.
Also on Thursday, some of the first doses of Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved vaccine were being administered by Tufts Medical Center. Mary Chin, executive director of the Asian American Civic Association, received her injection at Boston hospital on Thursday morning. The vaccine, authorized by the FDA US Food and Drug Administration last weekend for emergency use, has the potential to dramatically speed up vaccination efforts because it requires only one dose and is easier to ship and store.
Even as nominations accelerate on Thursday, the group of eligible residents is expected to expand dramatically next week with Governor Charlie Baker’s announcement on Wednesday that elementary and high school educators, school staff and child caregivers will be eligible to schedule appointments on March 11. 400,000 individuals will join those aged 65 and over and those with two or more qualified health conditions in the eligibility pool.
Christina Prignano can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @cprignano.