Baker: Vax appointments could take ‘weeks’ to get
Even with new sites opening
More vaccination appointments are opening up in Massachusetts and more doses are headed to pharmacies — but Gov. Charlie Baker is warning that it could take residents “a few weeks” to score a slot for the highly sought-after shots.
Baker said another 120,000 appointments are expected to come online this week across pharmacies, local health centers and mass vaccination sites like the one he toured Wednesday at Fenway Park.
But as supply from the federal government remains constrained, the governor said, “It’s important that we manage our process and try to see if we can serve the people who are most at risk first.”
“Everybody should understand that it may take several weeks in some cases to schedule an appointment,” Baker said. “Please be patient and recognize and understand that everybody who’s eligible during each particular phase of this will get an appointment and an opportunity to get vaccinated.”
Baker said that on Thursday, 55,000 new appointments will become available at mass vaccination sites, including the new one at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Danvers, for the next week. Pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS, which post appointments daily, will add about 15,500 slots this week. Retail and business sites such as Stop & Shop and Wegmans will add about 4,000 appointments, while local vaccination sites will post in the range of 55,000 to 60,000 this week.
There are 125 vaccination sites currently operating in Massachusetts, and Baker set a goal of expanding that to 165 by the end of the month.
Walgreens will open two new sites in Mattapan and two sites in Roxbury, as well as sites in Dorchester, Chelsea, Revere and Everett. Next week, an additional 30 pharmacy sites are expected to add around 21,000 appointments “primarily for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID,” Baker said.
“The strategy here obviously is to try to make sure that in many communities that have been hard hit by COVID, we have familiar and trusted providers available to them,” Baker said.