I-Team: State To Shut Down Some Mass Vaccination Sites
BOSTON (CBS) - Days after an I-Team investigation showed 20 percent or fewer residents got their COVID-19 shot at one of the mass vaccination sites, Gov. Charlie Baker said the state will scale back and shut down some of the locations.
"The state is paying overhead rate and they're paying vaccination per dose rate at the sites," said Greg Sullivan, from the Pioneer Institute, a watchdog group. "So the state officials have to look at the dollars."
The no bid contracts show the three private companies running the big venues billed the state more than $24 million. But state data shows they never had the anticipated volume. The I-Team found 80 percent or more residents got their vaccines at hospitals, health clinics and pharmacies.
Lawmakers say it's time to shift the distribution to the local level. "People go get vaccinations and medicine from people they know and trust we know this the governor knows this," State Representative Marjorie Decker said. "We are not in a position to waste any public dollars which should be reinvested in overall wellness and care and strengthening the public health system."
The Department of Public Health did not respond to our repeated requests for the actual dollar amount the state paid the three vendors running the mass vaccination sites