With Phase 1 of Massachusetts’ COVID-19 vaccine distribution finished and Phase 2 just now starting, many Massachusetts residents anxiously await their turn in hopes of getting back to normal life as soon as possible. However, the distribution of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines has proven to be much easier said than done.
Charlie Baker’s vaccine rollout plan has been heavily criticized, starting with its inaccessibility to senior citizens. Individuals of 75 years and older are now eligible for vaccine appointments, but there has been widespread confusion about the process of booking an appointment and physically getting to it, which has slowed down the rollout. There are also concerns circulating in the state and the nation as a whole about the arrival of the vaccine doses themselves to the distributors.
The process may get even more inefficient as eligible recipients are required to come back for their second dose of the vaccine. Massachusetts residents are encouraged to book their second appointment while they are at their first to simplify scheduling. However, vaccine recipients have reported that some vaccine sites did not have a way of booking this second appointment, or posed a booking system that was impractical.
Despite the issues the state has faced in their vaccine distribution, there is still time for the Baker administration to tweak their plans and incorporate the feedback they’ve received into a better approach to vaccine distribution. The current timeline will make individuals aged 65 years and older, at-risk individuals, and the residents and staff of affordable senior housing the next group to be eligible for vaccination at some point in late February. After that, vaccines will be available to individuals such as teachers, retail and sanitation workers, and delivery drivers. They are expected to be available to the general public sometime in April.
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