Here's When Chelmsford Will Get The Coronavirus Vaccine

CHELMSFORD, MA —People older than 65 could receive the COVID-19 vaccine as early as February, but the general public in Chelmsford likely won't receive the vaccine until April under the state's three-phase distribution plan.

Local health departments have been inundated with calls about it, including in Chelmsford. But officials are just referring residents to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health plan that came out earlier this month.

As of Dec. 22, nearly 150,000 doses of the vaccine were shipped to the state, and of those 35,618 have been administered. As soon as they arrive, medical workers begin the process of getting vaccinated, per the first phase of the program. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines need to be administered twice about three to four weeks apart

After hospitals, the Department of Public Health immunization lab, and front-line medical workers, the next doses go to the Federal Pharmacy Program and are earmarked for long-term care facility staff and residents.

As of Dec. 24, 1,545 people in Chelmsford have tested positive for the virus and of those, 73 have died.

The vaccine timeline and priority list:

Phase One (December - February)

• Clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers doing direct and COVID-facing care
• Long term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities
• Police, fire and emergency medical services
• Congregate care settings (including corrections and shelters)
• Home-based healthcare workers
• Healthcare workers doing non-COVID-facing care

Phase Two (February - April)

• Individuals with 2+ comorbidities (high-risk for COVID-19 complications)
• Early education, K-12, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers
• Adults 65+
• Individuals with comorbidities

Phase three (April - June)

• General public. Once the vaccine is available to the general public, public vaccine clinics will be available on the CDC’s interactive website: vaccinefinder.org.

The vaccines will be distributed for free with no co-payments.

Read more:

• Feds Cut MA Coronavirus Vaccine Shipment By 20 Percent ...

• MA Vaccine Distribution Plan: General Public Waits Until April ...
• Coronavirus Restrictions, Masks May Be Here 6 to 9 More Months

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.