North Andover Limited To 100 Vaccine Doses Per Week

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover has completed its first responder vaccination clinics and will vaccinate a few people who couldn't make them this week, but will only get limited amounts of doses each week going forward, Health Director Brian LaGrasse told the Select Board Monday.

"We did receive 1 shipment already and we're getting another this week, but they've severely limited our numbers past this point to 100 doses per week, which is extremely frustrating," LaGrasse said.

Town officials are "geared up and ready to go" with more vaccinations, but they don't expect to get enough vaccinations to go around in coming weeks, with eligibility due to expand to residents 75 and older Monday.

The town is also helping a local long-term care facility that didn't get their program in place in time to get doses through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, LaGrasse said.

The state has only received about half the 1.5 million doses needed to vaccinate everyone in phase one, LaGrasse said.

But his team is doing everything they can to get more doses, the health director said.

Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues said that when clinics open up, the town will do robocalls as well as other announcements. There will be town staff dedicated to helping people make appointments.

Massachusetts residents 75 and older can begin registering Wednesday at sites listed on the state's vaccine map. North Andover's nearest "mass vaccination site" is the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Danvers, which is set to open for vaccinations on Feb. 3.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.