COVID-Related Letters Signed by Jamie
Prioritization of Veterinarians with COVID Vaccine
Veterinary medical teams have been working in person throughout the pandemic, and while safety measures have been implemented, staff are not always able to avoid close contacts and continue to put themselves at an increased risk. The Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccination plan should reflect CDC guidance on essential workers, which places veterinary workers in phase 1b, and we must prioritise these workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Letter to Gov. Baker on COVID-19 Vaccine Website
The state’s current website to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine has been ineffective and caused a great deal of confusion, particularly for residents age 75 and over, and we encourage the Governor to support and incorporate other services which have emerged and appear more effective for providing Massachusetts residents the services they need.
Letter to Restore Asthma as a Co-Morbidity for COVID-19 Vaccines
Returning moderate to severe asthma to the state’s list of comorbidities eligible for phase two of COVID-19 vaccine distribution is crucial to our efforts in both public health and racial equity. Massachusetts has a high rate of asthma in its population, particularly in communities of color, and continuing to deny access to the vaccine will increase risk and expand on existing disparities in the Commonwealth.
Potential locations for a mass distribution site of the COVID-19 vaccine for Northwest Middlesex County and North Worcester County have been identified in Devens and Pepperell, and we encourage the Governor to move forward with a plan to create this regional site.
Teacher Vaccination Priority Letter
As many school districts have returned or will soon be returning to in-person learning, K-12 educators should receive priority in the first group of phase 2 for the COVID-19 vaccine. Teachers face an increased risk of exposure on a daily basis, and must be properly protected in order for the plan to reopen schools to be completed safely and effectively.
Letter to prioritize community health organizations in vaccine rollout
Across the Commonwealth, community health centers, community hospitals, health departments, and primary care offices have built trust and relationships with their communities, providing critical service and an equitable pandemic response. As such, these organizations should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination distribution, both to ensure equity in distribution and to ease the burden of finding vaccine sites on residents.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution and supply in MetroWest/Central MA area
As the state develops its plan for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, clear and consistent information must be provided regarding the number of doses received by the state and the plan for receiving the supply needed to meet the needs of residents in a timely manner.. Further, more communication is needed regarding how decisions are made regarding the usage of different vaccines or surplus resources, the locations of mass distribution sites, the timeline for vaccine eligibility, and other constituent concerns.
Funeral Home Worker Vaccine Phase I Prioritization Letter
Funeral home directors and workers function regularly in hospitals and other health care centers, in similar conditions as other health care workers, and thus should be prioritized in Phase 1 of the state’s vaccination plan.
Joint Letter Submitted to Governor Baker
The state’s current enrollment service for COVID vaccine appointments, by operating exclusively online, creates unnecessary barriers on constituents to schedule appointments, especially seniors. Additional resources must be available to residents to schedule these appointments safely and simply.
LHA concerns with vaccine distribution
Local housing authorities have struggled with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, struggling to serve their residents, properly vaccinate their staff, establish connections with approved vaccine suppliers, and receiving insufficient support from the current Administration.
Vaccine Distribution Sign-On Letter
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many local boards of health and emergency personnel have put in immense work planning and preparing to assist their communities, particularly with vaccine distribution. The recent directive from the Governor’s office to not provide municipalities with COVID-19 vaccines disregards this effort, and increases the burden being placed on at-risk residents.
Letter of Support for MetroWest Regional Vaccine Collaborative
Local and regional vaccine distribution efforts help to solve key challenges faced by the statewide vaccination effort. A collaborative vaccination site based at the DoubleTree in Westborough would provide much needed availability of the vaccine to communities nearby in Middlesex and Worcester counties, which have struggled with rollout thus far.