Commonwealth Announces Vaccine Timeline for All Residents

COVID-19

Today, the Commonwealth announced the timeline for all remaining residents to be eligible for a vaccine and provided an update on doses that are being received and distributed.

Vaccine Eligibility Timeline

Today, the Commonwealth announced the dates that all remaining residents and certain worker groups will be eligible for a vaccine. The detailed timeline adheres to the original timeline for the three phases announced in December.

All residents can preregister to book an appointment at a mass vaccination site at mass.gov/COVIDVaccine. Appointments will be offered based on eligibility and available appointments nearby. It is expected that more sites will come online as part of the preregistration process in April.

Timeline for remaining groups

  • March 22nd: Residents 60+ and certain workers
  • April 5th: Residents 55+ and residents with one certain medical condition
  • April 19th: General public ages 16 years of age and older

The full timeline is available at mass.gov/COVIDVaccinePhases.

The Commonwealth has received assurances from the federal government that an increased vaccine supply will be available to states soon. Depending on supply, it could take weeks for people to be notified that an appointment is available at a mass vaccination site.

Dose Update

This week, the state is receiving a modest increase in supply of first doses, approximately 170,000. This includes an unexpected 8,000 doses of J&J vaccine.

In total, the Commonwealth will receive 316,000 first and second doses as part of the state allocation. These figures do not include doses provided through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program or to Federally Qualified Health Centers.

This week, first doses and second dose state allocations (total doses), were distributed among providers as follows:

  • Mass vaccination locations: 101,890
  • Health systems and health care providers (excluding CHCs): 99,230
  • Community Health Centers: 27,450
  • Regional Collaboratives and Local Boards of Health: 59,580
    • Regional Collaboratives: 40,370
    • Local Boards of Health: 19,210
  • Retail pharmacies (non-CVS)
    • State allocation: 8,490
  • Mobile Clinics supporting long-term care facilities, congregate care, affordable/low-income senior housing and homebound individuals: 19,180

Weekly allocations are subject to change based on federal availability, demand from providers, and obligations to meet second doses. Providers have 10 days to use their doses and must meet specific performance thresholds.

Federal Doses

In addition to the state allocation, the federal government distributes vaccines to CVS Health sites as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership as well as to certain Massachusetts federally qualified community health centers. These quantities fluctuate on a weekly basis and are not counted as part of the state’s weekly allocation.

This week, 106,440 first and second doses have been allocated to the retail pharmacy program and 9,500 doses have been allocated to the federally qualified health centers.

Individuals looking to book appointments across any of these providers should visit mass.gov/COVIDvaccine to learn more.