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Andover Woman 'Excited' For COVID Vaccine After Welcoming 4 New Grandkids During Pandemic

ANDOVER (CBS) - "I'm excited," Claire Bishop of Andover told WBZ after learning she would be bumped up the list in vaccine priority thanks to a change announced Monday afternoon by Governor Baker. "It's a good day."

Baker announced Phase 2of Massachusetts' vaccine distribution will begin on February 1, and immediately following people 75 or older, people 65 or older will be eligible for a shot -- a new addition to the list.

That was big news for Bishop, 67, who welcomed four new grandchildren in 2020. She wasn't able to see any of them in the hospital, and scheduled visits one family at a time in between quarantining, or through a glass window.

Claire Bishop
Claire Bishop (WBZ-TV)

"It was very sad for the parents because they have these beautiful blessings they want to share with the world and they have to isolate them," she told WBZ.

The four grandkids will be celebrating their first birthdays soon, and Claire (aka "Mimi") and her husband Bill are hoping to be vaccinated soon enough to celebrate with them safely.

"We want to spend a lot of time together, and just for myself, I want to be healthy," she said. "I have no reservations whatsoever...I want to spend time with [my grandchildren]. I want to see their future and be part of it. Why not get this vaccination?"

Anyone wondering when they will be eligible for a vaccine or wondering where to get one is encouraged to check the state's vaccine website.

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