Senate President Karen Spilka calls for local boards of health to vaccinate teachers, essential workers
WCVB | March 8, 2021
BOSTON —Senate President Karen Spilka is calling for a change in the state’s plan for distributing COVID-19 vaccine to teachers and other essential workers.
She tweeted Monday morning in favor of using local boards of health to administer the vaccinations to those individuals.
“Local Boards of Health have practiced delivering vaccinations for years. Let them vaccinate our teachers, early educators, staff, & our essential frontline workers-like bus & train drivers, grocery store & restaurant workers, & our elderly and home-bound residents,” she wrote.
Last week, President Joe Biden directed states to have every educator, school staff member and child care worker receive at least one shot by the end of the month.
One day later, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that educators, early educators, bus drivers and school staff will become eligible to sign up for vaccine appointments starting on March 11.
The state estimated that it will take about a month for the 400,000 educators who will become eligible to receive their first dose. The timeframe is only subject to change if federal supply increases dramatically, including the recently authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine, officials said.
President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association Merrie Najimy said the move helps pave the way for a return to in-person learning.
“It’s welcome news that the governor is finally with the program,” Najimy told the Associated Press. “This is a victory for the students, school employees and the entire education community.”
CVS and Walgreens get their doses from the federal government but comply with the guidance from the state.
Biden said that the Federal Pharmacy Program will be used to deliver the shots to pre-K through grade 12 teachers and staff, as well as child care workers.
Massachusetts teachers unions have partnered with firefighters to create a program called the Last Mile Vaccination Program, which they say could expedite the vaccination process, but that the plan has yet to be approved by the state.