DANVERS, MASS. (WHDH) - Massachusetts residents who bring seniors over the age of 75 to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments at one of the state’s mass vaccination sites can now get vaccinated as well, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday.
Starting Thursday, anyone who transports a senior resident to a mass vaccination site of their choice will be offered an opportunity to make an appointment to receive the shot, no matter their age or relationship to the eligible individual, according to Baker.
“We hope this change will encourage more 75 and older residents to get their vaccine at mass vaccination sites, which have the most availability,” Baker said during a news conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Danvers.
Only one companion may accompany a senior resident and they can only receive their first dose of the vaccine if the senior is receiving their second dose.
Mass vaccination sites, which are currently open at Fenway Park in Boston, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Doubletree Hotel in Danvers, and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, will make every effort to take both individuals together to minimize wait time, even if the appointment times are not identical.
The decision to incorporate senior companions in the vaccination plan was made in an effort to prevent vaccines from being left idle or going to waste at the end of the day, according to Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders.
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Sudders urged residents to refrain from arriving early for appointments at mass vaccination sites to avoid the formation of long lines and the gathering of people.
Sudders also called the state’s mass sites “fast, easy, and efficient.”
The state will also be adding 100,000 new vaccination appointments that are slated to go live on Thursday, including 74,000 appointments at state and mass vaccination sites, and more than 30,000 appointments at pharmacy sites.
A pair of new mass vaccination sites will be launching at the Natick Mall on Feb. 18 and at the former Circuit City building in Dartmouth on Feb. 24.
The Natick Mall will initially offer 500 appointments per day, while the Dartmouth site starts at 500 appointments and will ramp up to 2,000.
The state already has a number of mass vaccination sites up and running, including Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Lowell General Hospital, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Danvers, Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center, and Tripadvisor’s global headquarters in Needham.
“We continue to add capacity through these mass vaccination sites, which are obviously high output locations,” Baker said.
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When Baker’s tour of the Danvers site wrapped up, many people flocked to the location after hearing a rumor that excess vaccines would made available to anyone who arrived by 4 p.m. That misinformation created a large crowd of people in a lengthy line that lasted well into the night.
“My aunt gave me a call and said if you want to get a shot, come up to the Double Tree…They have extra shots and they don’t want to throw it away,” said Cheryl Eddy, a teacher from Lynn who drove to the site.
After 7’s Jonathan Hall called the state to inquire about the situation, non-eligible people were told to leave as seniors over the age of 75 were forced to wait in the cold.
Pat Sexton and her daughter Suzanne rushed to the mass vaccination site – when word got out that they had hundreds of extra doses on hand no appointment necessary.
“I’m out here to have the mighty vaccine,” Pat said.
“She just misses the mark so it’s good that we can get her here and get her the shot. Hopefully,” Suzanne added.
Elizabeth Brenner waited three hours to get her shot.
“They don’t want any doses to go to waste but it shows a failure in the system. There needs to be a better plan for doses for those who are eligible right now can get them not just those who have three hours to kill,” Brenner said.
Dozens of new pharmacy sites will also be launching in the coming days.
Appointments can be made on the state’s website, where a map of the state’s 130 vaccination sites can be found.
Individuals can schedule two separate appointments at either the same time or adjacent. For the companion appointment, select the option “I am accompanying someone who is age 75+ to their vaccination appointment and my appointment is the same day.”
Last week, Baker announced a call center to assist eligible residents with booking vaccine appointments.
The state has administered more than 200,000 vaccine doses since the start of Phase 2, which launched on Feb. 1, according to Baker. Nearly one million residents in total have received a vaccine since the rollout kicked off with healthcare workers late last year.
Baker added that the state is committed to moving “as quickly as we possibly can” to move the vaccination timeline forward.
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