Framingham Tells Seniors Can’t Guarantee 2nd Dose of Vaccine; State Says It Will Provide 2nd Doses to Framingham

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FRAMINGHAM – On Wednesday, February 17, Massachusetts Health Secretary MaryLou Sudders wrote to local health directors across the state and said “municipalities will receive second doses to ensure that all residents have been fully vaccinated by individual local board of health clinics.”

But yesterday on February 18, several residents said they were told by City of Framingham employees that their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was not guaranteed.

“I am responding to your email question regarding dose #2 of Moderna COVID-19 vaccination. The Governors announcement yesterday has many communities concerned about their vaccine allotment including Framingham. It is important for you to receive dose #2 and that you receive the Moderna vaccine. With doses being redirected to Mass Vax sites, many community level clinics (cities and towns) are not receiving vaccine. If you are able to secure an appointment at a Mass Vax site (Natick Mall, Gillette, etc.) or at a participating CVS that is your best guarantee for your dose #2. … In Framingham, it is uncertain when/how much vaccine will be provided to us to host our clinic so I urge you to either call 211 for help securing an appointment for Moderna dose #2 near your 3/6 due date. We may be able to host a dose #2 clinic on Saturday March 6^th, but it is still uncertain,” wrote one Health Department employee to a citizen on Feb. 18.

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But Secretary Sudders in her Feb. 17 email to local health leaders across the Commonwealth said that communities should tell their residents that their second dose will be administered locally.

Framingham held a local vaccine clinic at Keefe Technical on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts said that second doses for those Framingham residents will be administered by the local health departments. The state has maintained that it is not only convenient for both vaccine doses to be done at the same location, it helps with the Commonwealth’s inventory management of the vaccine.

SOURCE reached out to the City of Framingham this morning for a statement.

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The City of Framingham Chief Information Officer Kelly McFalls said “The City will make an announcement about the first 2-dose clinic today.”

Secretary Sudders said “Starting March 1, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will “no longer provide first dose vaccines for individual municipal clinics, except for the twenty disproportionately impacted communities and established and approved Regional Collaboratives.”

Framingham is one of those 20 communities.

McFalls told SOURCE “We are meeting with our DPH Community Liaison as early as we can next week to further understand what the State’s targeted outreach initiative means for Framingham.”

The City of Framingham has postponed its vaccine clinic scheduled for tomorrow, Feb. 20.