Newton-Wellesley Hospital To Pause Vaccine Clinic At Tripadvisor

NEWTON, MA — The recently opened vaccine sites at Tripadvisor in Needham and the former Boston Sports Club on Wells Avenue in Newton will be put on hold after the governor announced he would be focusing on rolling out the vaccine to mass vaccination sites such as Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.

The state has been concerned that hospitals were scheduling more vaccine appointments than the state could meet, and couldn't keep up with the demand. While across the commonwealth municipalities — from Waltham to Westford— have reported requested their vaccine dose requests haven't been met.

Locally, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Beth Israel Lahey Health will not be able to administer any new first doses of the coronavirus vaccine, just weeks after they set up shop at Tripadvisor and at the former BSC on Wells Avenue.

Both sent notices to patients in an email.

The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association said it told member hospitals that their supply of COVID-19 vaccines will be curtailed over the next two weeks, as Massachusetts directs available doses to mass vaccination sites, retail pharmacies and community health centers.

The association advised hospitals not to schedule any new first dose vaccination appointments until further notice, but also not to cancel any currently scheduled appointments.

The state said it would provide vaccines to hospitals for already-scheduled first doses and assured the association that all second doses will be provided to hospitals this week "as needed," according to the association.

"Massachusetts hospitals have navigated a deluge of challenges throughout the pandemic, often taking extraordinary measures to be there for their patients and communities," the association said in a statement. "The challenge of vaccine distribution is no different, with providers administering more than 450,000 doses since late December. "

Baker has said the larger sites, such as Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park, as well as a network of pharmacies and grocery stores, will be the primary source of distribution as vaccine supplies are limited.

Baker said Saturday that the state is receiving about 105,000 doses of vaccine per week, but has the capacity to distribute up to 240,000 if supplies allow.

Newton Wellesley Hospital opened a vaccination clinic at the Tripadvisor building on Feb. 3. with the goal of vaccinating 630 patients per day, depending on supply with plans to expand eventually. Tripadvisor was one of the first large private sector company to turn over its corporate headquarters rent-free to help ensure people get vaccinated.

Beth Israel had planned to open a vaccination clinic in Newton on Feb. 22.

A spokesperson said that's been put on ice and they have not yet made a decision on whether the site will open in the future.

Last week Beth Israel was notified by the state that it would be greatly reducing the supply of vaccines to hospitals and health systems in order to consolidate vaccine doses for use at state-run vaccination clinics, a spokesperson said.

Since the beginning of the patient vaccination program, Beth Israel Lahey Health has consistently utilized between 95-99 percent of the vaccine allocated to them, the spokesperson said.

"Distributing as much or a greater percentage of vaccine as any site in the Commonwealth, and we have done this in multiple communities throughout the state, many that have been hardest hit by the virus, including communities of color," according to the statement.