A Twin Cities’ shot shoutout

As COVID numbers decreased and vaccinations increased, the state began to close its regional inoculation sites and concentrate on delivering shots to residents of communities where that need still existed.

One of the most successful vehicles in reaching those underserved or reluctant populations was on display Tuesday at The Mall at Whitney Field in Leominster, where Mascon Medical’s final Last Mile Vaccine Delivery COVID19 clinic was held.

Like the larger vaccination operations, the ultimate goal of these mobile sites is to inoculate themselves out of business.

“Last Mile clinics have been slowing down as more and more people get vaccinated,” John Chen, President and CEO of Woburn-based Mascon Inc., Mascon Medical’s parent company, told the newspaper.

Chen helped form the innovative mobile vaccination service in collaboration with Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) and Brewster Ambulance Service in January.

Since then, Last Mile has inoculated about 20,000 people across the state so far at 100 pop-up clinics, including thousands in Leominster alone through nearly two dozen stops since its initial mall appearance on March 16. The service has provided shots through clinics in Boston, Chelsea, Quincy, among other commonwealth locations, and also administered many COVID-19 vaccines at homes through mobile vaccination units, as it did during an early April trip to Leominster, when 23 residents took advantage of this doorto-door service.

“The collaborative was originally formed to help speed access and delivery of vaccines to everyone,” Chen said. “In the end, we were able to help the most underserved, hard-hit communities and the communities of color.” Last Mile’s work may be concluding in the central part of the state, but it still has miles to go before completing its mission.

Chen said Last Mile has not only been asked to go out west to Holyoke and Chicopee to help vaccinate people there, but also has received some out-of-state requests.

“We have also been contacted from a group in Alabama to help them with trying to increase vaccinations and model a program there after Last Mile.”

And Macon Medical has delivered more than just COVID-19 shots.

It’s donated more than $1 million in PPE and infection control products last year, including more than 250,000 items, such as masks, gowns, face shields, goggles, hand sanitizing wipes, and electrostatic sprayers to Leominster and Fitchburg Emergency Management in

December.

We’re certain the Twin Cities would like to thank the Last Mile for helping put this pandemic in our rear mirror.