Health and Human Services announced today Massachusetts will enter the next stage of the Phase 2 COVID-19 vaccine plan.  Residents 65+ and those with two or more underlying health issues can begin scheduling to receive doses.  According to officials “Individuals 65 and over, including residents and staff of low income and affordable public and private senior housing are eligible to receive vaccine effective tomorrow, February 18 according to the mass.gov website.

WUPE logo
Get our free mobile app

Also, Mass residents with two or more specific underlying health conditions are also eligible to begin receiving vaccinations.  Included in the list of “underlying health conditions” …obesity, heart conditions, cancer, chronic kidney disease, smoking, Down Syndrome, COPD, sickle cell disease, pregnancy, asthma, and others according to the mass.gov website.

Residents and staff of public and private low income and affordable senior housing are included in the Phase 2 of vaccine deployment in Massachusetts are also eligible for vaccinations beginning tomorrow according to the mass.gov website.

For more information if you are 65+ click here.

For more information if you have two or more underlying health conditions click here.

For more information if you are a resident or staff of low income and affordable senior housing click here.

There is one more stage of Phase 2 that will cover early educators and daycare workers, food service workers, sanitation, public works and public health workers, transit and transportation, convenience store employees, grocery store workers, shipping and terminal workers, medical chain workers and others.  Mass is not expected to be able to enter into Phase 3 until sometime in April.  That is when everyone not eligible in Phase 1 or Phase 2 will be allowed to get vaccinated.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

 

More From WUPE