One day after Massachusetts rolled out a buddy system aimed at boosting 75-and-over coronavirus vaccinations, Gov. Charlie Baker warned the public to beware of strangers who have been trying to get the vaccine by taking seniors to their appointments.
Ads are popping up on sites like Craigslist offering rides to seniors in exchange for a vaccine.
Maxine and Scott Siegler are 68 and 74-years-old respectively and both suffer from health issues.
They both received their first dose in New Hampshire but since moving to the Bay State, they said they are frustrated at the prospect of not being able to sign up for their second.
“I’m a Vietnam veteran. I’ve been through wars, hurricanes, but I’ve never been through this. This is the worst thing ever,” Scott said.
The two were further frustrated by the new vaccine buddy system.
“Are you joking? That’s our shots he’s giving away,” Maxine said. “Those are our vaccines.”
The system was put into practice on Thursday and has already attracted a number of interested people.
“It puts our seniors at risk,” State Representative Tami Gouveia said.
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She and 20 other lawmakers from across the state are penning a letting to Gov. Charlie Baker voicing their concerns with the state of the rollout and the company Curative which is running the mass vaccination sites in Danvers and Springfield.
“They claim that they’re public health leaders and that they’re leaders in the logistics, but we’ve seen nothing but problem after problem with the site that they’re managing,” said Gouveia.
When asked about Curative at a press conference Thursday, Baker defended the company. But, Gouveia, who has a doctorate in public health, said they are not the only problem facing the state.
“This companion system really just eliminates any of the prioritization that we’ve gone through and it flies in the face of what the CDC recommends in terms of who is a priority, why they are a priority,” she said. “Lives are at risk.”
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