{"id":29357,"date":"2021-02-16T16:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/?p=29357"},"modified":"2021-02-17T11:37:56","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T16:37:56","slug":"baker-polito-administration-launches-outreach-to-20-hardest-hit-communities-including-framingham-to-increase-equity-in-covid-vaccine-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/16\/baker-polito-administration-launches-outreach-to-20-hardest-hit-communities-including-framingham-to-increase-equity-in-covid-vaccine-access\/","title":{"rendered":"Baker-Polito Administration Launches Outreach To 20 Hardest Hit Communities, Including Framingham, To increase Equity in COVID Vaccine Access"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is a press release from the Baker-Polito administration submitted to SOURCE media<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BOSTON \u2014 The Baker-Polito Administration today, February 16, announced a targeted outreach initiative in 20 cities and towns most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and  $1 million to the MA League of Community Health Centers to support vaccination in historically underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Targeted Outreach Initiative<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Public Health (DPH) will invest resources directly in the 20 cities and towns most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 to increase awareness of the vaccine\u2019s safety and efficacy and to reduce barriers to vaccination. DPH will assist each city or town by working with local leaders,  and community- and faith-based groups to strengthen existing efforts focused on awareness and overcoming barriers so that residents will get vaccinated when it\u2019s their turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative will focus on 20 cities and towns with the greatest COVID-19 case burden, taking into account social determinants of health and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BIPOC.  These communities are Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massachusetts now ranks in the Top 10 for vaccinations per capita according to the CDC and last week administered more doses per week than it received from the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[broadstreet zone=”59945″]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Cities\/Towns were Identified:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This list of 20 is a subset of the cities and towns that met the Massachusetts COVID Advisory Group recommendation to prioritize communities using the CDC\u2019s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)<\/a> and COVID-19 case rates since the start of the pandemic. Those communities were then ranked by average daily COVID-19 case rates in each city and town (excluding cases in long-term care and correctional facilities and communities with under 30,000 residents). From this ranked list by case rate, the top 17 cities and towns with the highest percentage of people of color were identified. The list of 20 cities and towns includes three additional communities to capture the top 15 communities with the highest daily COVID case rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe recognize the deep knowledge and expertise that exists in every community and our aim is to listen, respond, and work in concert to develop a customized approach for reaching as many residents as we can to increase vaccination,\u201d said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. \u201cThis approach is centered on equity, a core pillar of our vaccine distribution. Our goal is to work in collaboration with our local communities, to meet people where they are, and to reduce barriers \u2013 both physical and otherwise \u2013 to getting the COVID vaccine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new DPH initiative will support a tailored community-based approach around the individual needs identified by each municipality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[broadstreet zone=”59946″]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the outreach, a DPH Community Liaison will work to leverage and coordinate state resources and customize a menu of options to be offered to each community, which may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n