About 1 million people became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, after the state opened eligibility for those 55 and older and those with a qualified health condition. In addition, the state on Friday added several new health conditions to its list of comorbidities, including HIV, type 1 diabetes, overweight and substance use disorder.
Several months after the vaccines were first implemented for healthcare professionals and those in congregated care settings, some parts of the application process have changed.
If you are recently eligible, here is an update on how to schedule a vaccine appointment.
Option 1: pre-registration at a state-administered mass vaccination site
To avoid the weekly race for open spaces at the state’s mass vaccination sites in Boston, Danvers, Springfield, Foxborough and elsewhere, the state has implemented a pre-registration system to allow any Massachusetts adult to apply for the vaccine , regardless of eligibility status. As soon as you become eligible and it is your turn on the list, you will receive an invitation to sign up for a meeting on the website closest to you. If you signed up for an appointment elsewhere in the meantime, you may lose your place in the queue.
With the change, it is no longer possible to directly schedule an appointment at the seven mass vaccination posts in the state. Those seeking nominations must use the pre-registration system and wait for an invitation from the state.
The state recently added several medical conditions to its list of comorbidities. If you have already pre-registered and now qualify under the new conditions added, the Baker administration says it is working on a tool that allows people to update their records. But that option is not yet available.
If you are a Massachusetts resident aged 75 or over, you can call 211 for assistance in making an appointment.
Option 2: Sign up for an appointment at a pharmacy, supermarket, hospital or other location
In addition to the state’s mass vaccination sites, some consultations are also available from local public health staff and health service providers – including hospitals. The federal government is also sending doses to pharmacies, supermarkets and other retail locations. You can search for appointments using the individual sites of the participating locations or using vaxfinder.mass.gov.
Having trouble finding open appointments at the time of research? The Twitter account @vaccinetime, which is run by software engineer Dan Cahoon, scans vaccine nomination sites and tweets automatically when new nominations are posted.
Option 3: internment program and other specialized programs
Programs that target target populations have also been made available in recent weeks.
Massachusetts residents who are at home can call (833) 983-0485 to speak with someone who can help determine if they are eligible for a home vaccination appointment.
Local health departments may also offer vaccine clinics to residents or those who are part of specific groups, such as veterans, first responders or educators. Consult the health department of your local city or municipality for more information.
Christina Prignano can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @cprignano.