National Guard Deployed To 3 Massachusetts Vaccination Sites
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Massachusetts National Guard is helping administer vaccines at three sites. Guard members have been deployed to the Danvers and Springfield mass vaccination sites, as well as the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.
The Guard was called to Springfield after seniors were stuck waiting in long lines in the snow. Some seniors stood outside of the Eastfield Mall for more than two hours in cold temperatures waiting for their shots on Tuesday.
There were two teams of 10 Guard members in Springfield and Danvers Tuesday. The mass vaccination site in Danvers at the DoubleTree Hotel opened last week.
Medically qualified troops are expected to continue helping for the next several weeks in the Boston area, including Chelsea, Revere and the South End.
"The National Guard has personnel with a range of applicable expertise within its ranks, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, emergency medical technicians, and medics," Guard spokesman Capt. Aaron Smith said in a statement. "These individuals have already administered the vaccine to 1,000 eligible Massachusetts soldiers and airmen, and now shift their focus to assisting in clinical settings for eligible members of the public."
Visit Mass.Gov/CovidVaccine to find out when you're eligible and to book an appointment.