He said that as soon as the federal government indicates that Massachusetts is receiving a larger supply of vaccines, “we will be ready and will make sure to incorporate this into the distribution community we have been working with and, of course, we will inform everyone so that they can take advantage of this. “
He said hundreds of thousands of residents visited the state’s website on Wednesday after news of the change was released.
“I think that after the story was released earlier today, I think we had 250,000 visits to the state’s website,” said Baker. “But you can’t apply until tomorrow. I think the site will be in good shape for that. The call center has done a very good job serving people aged 75 and over. We want to continue to make this available, as we enter some of these other populations for people who are unable to access an appointment through the website. “
The federal government’s deadline, Baker continued, is critical to managing the vaccine’s implantation in Massachusetts.
“We understand how important it would be for us to have more than a week of ordering capacity,” said Baker. “If they can give us a three-week commitment, like an official three-week commitment against which we can order, then we can say to the provider community, ‘This is how we think your appointment opportunities will be for in the next three weeks. , ‘and then we can allow people to book two or three weeks in advance, which would make people who want to make an appointment much more certain.’ ‘
He emphasized that mass vaccination sites can inoculate more people more quickly.
“The big message we got from the public was to vaccinate, to vaccinate,” said Baker. “And there is no doubt that the fastest way to do this is with high-volume sites.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said in a previous briefing that Baker government officials received word from the federal government on Tuesday night that, after weeks being limited to weekly shipments of 108,000 first doses, Massachusetts will begin to receive 139,000 first doses per week. this week, with the 31,000 extra doses coming from vaccine maker Pfizer-BioNTech.
But she asked for patience, warning that larger supplies will almost certainly not be enough to vaccinate all those who want injections right away.
“Given our limited offer, it may take more than a month for all eligible individuals to guarantee an available appointment,” said Sudders. Even with larger vaccine shipments, the state “is still not where we need to [be to] vaccinate everyone in Massachusetts, ”he warned.
She also said the state is expanding the list of officially recognized comorbidities that put residents at increased risk for COVID-19, a respiratory virus, to include moderate and severe asthma.
Other qualifying medical conditions are cancer; chronic kidney disease; chronic pulmonary obstruction disease; Down’s syndrome; cardiac conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies; immunocompromised state due to organ transplantation; obesity pregnancy; sickle cell anemia; smoke; and type 2 diabetes.
Baker said the asthma-related part of the new eligibility criteria is vitally important in reaching the most affected communities.
“There are many studies done that show that at-risk communities and communities of color historically have had higher rates of asthma,” he said. “And a lot of that has to do with decisions that were made years ago with respect to how people choose to build neighborhoods and communities,” so the “asthma issue is a legitimate issue and it is a legitimate issue of equity.” Baker added: “we want it to be resolved from the start”.
Disability rights activists praised the government’s decision to add asthma to the list of eligible health conditions. But many were disappointed with other chronic illnesses and conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, HIV and spinal cord injuries, are still being excluded.
“We are seriously concerned. Time is running out, ”said Colin Killick, executive director of the Disability Policy Consortium in Malden. “Every day that these conditions are not approved and pass to the front of the line is another day when these people are not being vaccinated and are at risk. So it’s another day when people are going to die. “
Nicole Lomerson, 42, of Northborough, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. The degree of her disability, she said, would qualify her to live in a nursing home. According to state guidelines, however, it does not qualify for Phase 2 access to vaccines.
“I’m not sure if the Community knows the best way to proceed with vaccinating our population because no one was at the table representing people with disabilities on the vaccine advisory board,” she said, from the expert committee that advises the administration on vaccine distribution. “The only people who struggle for people with disabilities to have access to the things we need to survive are the people with disabilities themselves.”
Even as they open up the vaccine’s eligibility to more groups, Sudders said the state is streamlining its vaccination program to send more doses to six mass vaccination sites and 13 regional collaborative vaccines that accept residents of any city or village. At the same time, it is reducing the new first doses, as of March 1, to around 65 local health councils that run municipal clinics that limit doses to residents of their communities.
These local clinics will still receive the second dose for residents who have already taken their first injections. And state health officials will work with local health officials to find ways to vaccinate thousands of frail or disabled residents across the state who are unable to travel to vaccination centers.
But the cut will not apply to 20 cities and towns with many cases of coronaviruses: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford , Randolph, Revere, Springfield and Worcester.
These communities are covered by a new initiative that aims to facilitate the immunization of people in cities and municipalities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Sudders also said that while vaccine supplies were cut off for Massachusetts hospital systems and their affiliated doctors last week, she hoped hospitals would continue to be part of the state’s vaccination campaign as supplies grew.
“This is a limited offer as we add new eligibility groups,” added Sudders. “So we need people to be patient.”
Sudders said the controversial “escort” program that started last week, which allows younger people to get vaccines if they accompany residents over 75 to mass vaccination sites, will continue to apply to the group over 75 – but not to new eligible groups.
Massachusetts authorities plan to post 70,000 new vaccination appointments on Thursday, mainly on the mass vaccination and regional collaboration sites, on their website mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine. Vaccine appointments can also be booked through the state’s call center by dialing 211.
“As of tomorrow, with an additional 1 million people eligible to receive the vaccine and 70,000 new consultations online, the number of new consultations will be limited to less and until we see significant increases from the Feds to people who wish to make an appointment. consultation, ”said Baker. “Remember to be patient, because as I said, it can take at least a month for everyone who is part of the [that] to make an appointment and receive the first vaccination. “
Robert Weisman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeRobW. Deanna Pan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @DDpan. Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.