Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 2/10/2021
SPRINGFIELD – The city is prepared for its own COVID-19 vaccination program. All it needs is vaccine, and members of the City Council are asking for Springfield to receive the amount it needs.
Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris told the City Council’s COVID-19 Response Committee last week the infection rates are continuing to drop in the city and the most concerning clusters are at local colleges. Hospitalizations are declining as well, she noted.
Caulton-Harris also explained her department has vaccinated 1,400 first-responders with the first of two doses, but has not heard about the availability of a second dose.
She is planning to identify neighborhood vaccination centers, which would be ready to inoculate city residents once the vaccine is sent.
In response to her testimony, members of the council sent an email last week to Gov. Charlie Baker and Secretary of Health and Human Services Mary Lou Sudders “to urge prioritization of local vaccine distribution at neighborhood sites and not just mass vaccination sites as the state moves into phases that include larger numbers of eligible residents,” according to a press release from the councilors.
In part the letter read, “As future phases of the vaccination roll out are set to include more and more individuals, it is illogical to believe that a city of nearly 160,000 residents can be served by one vaccination site, especially when that site is also serving as a regional and even statewide hub for Massachusetts residents. Mass Vaccination sites can serve a purpose, but they cannot be the only option for cities the size of Springfield.
“This is why it is imperative that your administration moves swiftly to make available an appropriate number of vaccine doses and accompanying funding directly to municipalities like ours, and allow our Health Commissioners and Boards of Public Health to administer a localized vaccine distribution plan to ensure that all of our constituents have equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Throughout this pandemic it has been our constituents that have been impacted the most. National data continues to show that black and brown communities are being exposed to and dying from COVID-19 at disproportionate rates, reflective of the unacceptable and long-standing public health inequities present in our nation. Now, unfortunately, statewide vaccination data is showing that those same communities that have been hit the hardest face a disparity in vaccine access. There should be a COVID-19 Vaccination Site accessible to every neighborhood in Springfield. It has been indicated by local officials that such sites have been identified, but the state must be able to guarantee a steady supply of vaccine doses and appropriate funding in order to ensure a smooth operations process.”
The letter was written by Councilor Jesse Lederman, and signed by City Council President Marcus Williams, Vice President Tracye Whitfield, and Councilors Michael Fenton, Melvin Edwards, Malo Brown, Victor Davila, Tim Allen, Sean Curran, and Justin Hurst.
Caulton-Harris said the city has opened a new testing site at the Rebecca Johnson School in Mason Square. Another testing site is planned for Putnam Vocational Technical High School, she added.
***
Greater Springfield Senior Services, Inc. (GSSSI) has announced it is now assisting older adults with registering for the Covid-19 vaccine through the online registration portals. Interested parties should call GSSSI at 781-8800 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to be connected to a highly trained, bilingual team of dedicated Information and Referral Specialists. Staff are ready to assist with online sign-ups and are available to answer any questions.