Approximately 50,000 new appointments for first doses of COVID-19 vaccines at mass vaccination sites will be opened for booking on Thursday and Gov. Charlie Baker said the state has taken steps to improve the stability of the booking websites.Last week, the state’s online directory of vaccine sites and the scheduling website for mass vaccination sites both crashed under the pressure of overwhelming demand. “We certainly expect the site’s performance tomorrow to be significantly better,” Baker said Wednesday. Baker said the state worked with a website vendor to improve server capacity and add a “digital waiting room” to help manage the heavy user load and prevent crashes. He said some users may be redirected to that waiting area, which will provide information about when they will be able to proceed. “It’s basically the equivalent of creating a line and people would then move from their position in the line onto the website,” Baker said. “It’s designed to basically keep the site running and operating and to make sure people can get through and have a smooth and uninterrupted experience.” Pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, are also expected to administer over 20,000 doses next week, the administration announced.Massachusetts residents between the ages of 65 and 74, those with two or more comorbidities and residents and staff of low-income housing or affordable senior housing became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine last week.People aged 75 and older have been eligible to be vaccinated since Feb. 1. Massachusetts residents in Phase 1 groups are still eligible to be vaccinated, including health care workers, first responders and those living and working in long-term and congregate care settings.Baker’s administration also announced Wednesday that it would allocate $4.7 million to an effort focused on reducing barriers to vaccination in the 20 hardest-hit communities in the Commonwealth and designated 11 new regional health collaboratives to help with the vaccination efforts. New and existing collaboratives:Barnstable CountyBerkshire County Boards of Health AssociationFranklin County Regional CollaborativeHarrington Hospital, in collaboration with LBOHHeywood Hospital, in collaboration with LBOHLawrence General Hospital, in collaboration with LBOHMarshfield-PlymouthNorthampton & AmherstRandolph – Collaboration between Avon, Holbrook, and RandolphRutlandWorcester, Worcester State University, Commonwealth Medicine and St. Vincent HospitalBaker discussed the announcements during a visit to the vaccination site in the former Sears space in the Natick Mall, which opened Monday. It began by administering a few hundred doses per day but plans to grow to more than 3,000 daily doses.LabCorp, a company based in North Carolina, runs the site.“In non-pandemic times, our core business is to provide vaccinations and biometric screenings to large employers throughout the U.S.,” said LabCorp’s Heather Provino.The best way to access the site is via Speen Street, and to drive toward Dave and Busters.LabCorp says they’ve coordinated shipments of the Moderna vaccine with the state.“We have been working with them and they have assured us that they will make sure we have vaccine on-site,” Provino said.As with other vaccine sites, people need an appointment and are asked to not simply show up expecting a vaccine.The Natick site was the fifth mass COVID-19 vaccination site to open in Massachusetts, joining Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Fenway Park in Boston, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Danvers.Another mass vaccination site opened Wednesday in Dartmouth inside a former Circuit City that is located at 456 State Road. Appointments at the Dartmouth site have been also been available to book since Thursday.Massachusetts residents between the ages of 65 and 74, those with two or more comorbidities and residents and staff of low-income housing or affordable senior housing became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine last week.People 75 and older have been eligible to be vaccinated since Feb. 1.The state’s vaccination booking website, however, crashed on Thursday due to high volume.
Approximately 50,000 new appointments for first doses of COVID-19 vaccines at mass vaccination sites will be opened for booking on Thursday and Gov. Charlie Baker said the state has taken steps to improve the stability of the booking websites.
Last week, the state’s online directory of vaccine sites and the scheduling website for mass vaccination sites both crashed under the pressure of overwhelming demand.
“We certainly expect the site’s performance tomorrow to be significantly better,” Baker said Wednesday.
Baker said the state worked with a website vendor to improve server capacity and add a “digital waiting room” to help manage the heavy user load and prevent crashes. He said some users may be redirected to that waiting area, which will provide information about when they will be able to proceed.
“It’s basically the equivalent of creating a line and people would then move from their position in the line onto the website,” Baker said. “It’s designed to basically keep the site running and operating and to make sure people can get through and have a smooth and uninterrupted experience.”
Pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, are also expected to administer over 20,000 doses next week, the administration announced.
Massachusetts residents between the ages of 65 and 74, those with two or more comorbidities and residents and staff of low-income housing or affordable senior housing became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine last week.
People aged 75 and older have been eligible to be vaccinated since Feb. 1. Massachusetts residents in Phase 1 groups are still eligible to be vaccinated, including health care workers, first responders and those living and working in long-term and congregate care settings.
Baker’s administration also announced Wednesday that it would allocate $4.7 million to an effort focused on reducing barriers to vaccination in the 20 hardest-hit communities in the Commonwealth and designated 11 new regional health collaboratives to help with the vaccination efforts.
New and existing collaboratives:
- Barnstable County
- Berkshire County Boards of Health Association
- Franklin County Regional Collaborative
- Harrington Hospital, in collaboration with LBOH
- Heywood Hospital, in collaboration with LBOH
- Lawrence General Hospital, in collaboration with LBOH
- Marshfield-Plymouth
- Northampton & Amherst
- Randolph – Collaboration between Avon, Holbrook, and Randolph
- Rutland
- Worcester, Worcester State University, Commonwealth Medicine and St. Vincent Hospital
Baker discussed the announcements during a visit to the vaccination site in the former Sears space in the Natick Mall, which opened Monday. It began by administering a few hundred doses per day but plans to grow to more than 3,000 daily doses.
LabCorp, a company based in North Carolina, runs the site.
“In non-pandemic times, our core business is to provide vaccinations and biometric screenings to large employers throughout the U.S.,” said LabCorp’s Heather Provino.
The best way to access the site is via Speen Street, and to drive toward Dave and Busters.
LabCorp says they’ve coordinated shipments of the Moderna vaccine with the state.
“We have been working with them and they have assured us that they will make sure we have vaccine on-site,” Provino said.
As with other vaccine sites, people need an appointment and are asked to not simply show up expecting a vaccine.
The Natick site was the fifth mass COVID-19 vaccination site to open in Massachusetts, joining Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Fenway Park in Boston, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Danvers.
Another mass vaccination site opened Wednesday in Dartmouth inside a former Circuit City that is located at 456 State Road. Appointments at the Dartmouth site have been also been available to book since Thursday.
Massachusetts residents between the ages of 65 and 74, those with two or more comorbidities and residents and staff of low-income housing or affordable senior housing became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine last week.
People 75 and older have been eligible to be vaccinated since Feb. 1.
The state’s vaccination booking website, however, crashed on Thursday due to high volume.
