Date: 3/10/2021
I am currently staying with my mother here in East Longmeadow, taking care of her during the pandemic. She is a homebound senior who is restricted to a wheelchair and who has an extremely hard time getting to and from appointments. She is essentially homebound.
Since December, when the COVID-19 vaccines became available, I have been trying to get her vaccinated here in her home. Her present condition restricts her from being able to get to the vaccination centers that are in town or the nearby Eastfield Mall mass vaccination center. I have called the East Longmeadow Health Department, the East Longmeadow Senior Center and the Greater Springfield Senior Services trying to find information. While they were all very responsive and concerned about this vulnerable population, so far they seemed to be scrambling to help find a solution as much as I am, and are unable to find the resources or any information from the state about home vaccinations.
Recently, we were excited when the East Longmeadow Health Department posted on Facebook that they were beginning to push vaccines into the homes of homebound senior residents. This excitement was quickly dashed after a phone call to the town health dept. when they told me the state was no longer giving local health departments vaccine doses unless they could meet an astronomical quota for vaccinations each week.
I emailed the governor’s office and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health seeking some clarification. I did get an email back from MDPH Immunization Division, the first reply just said they were “working” on a plan and to “please continue to monitor the Mass.gov website.” When I inquired further about a timeline, I was told there is a supposed plan being announced in the next few weeks and, “If you would like the Town of East Longmeadow to keep assisting homebound seniors, please reach out to them and advocate as such.” Not a very reassuring correspondence, seeing as the town had already had a program in place before the state pulled their dose supply. I have yet to hear from the governor’s office.
I understand the scarcity of doses in general, and while there may be good news down the road, it’s now March, and these seniors seem to have taken a backseat. My mother and those homebound seniors in this town face an uncertain future as the virus rages around them. They are a very vulnerable and health compromised population that seems to have not been thought of by the state during this unprecedented time.
Preston Rescigno
East Longmeadow
