The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) announced that it will hold a large scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic for families this Saturday at White Stadium in Franklin Park from 10am to 5pm. As an incentive to encourage residents to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, BPHC will be giving out $75 gift cards to individuals 18 and under who get vaccinated or boosted and to one caregiver who gets vaccinated or boosted with them at the event, while supplies last.
Saturday’s event is part of BPHC’s ongoing efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccine and booster uptake in Boston, especially among younger residents. Vaccination rates for children ages 6-months to 4-years-old and ages 5 to 11-years old are still low, 11% and 46.6% respectively. There are also persistent racial inequities in pediatric vaccine uptake. Mass vaccination events are one of the many ways BPHC is working to foster greater accessibility to COVID-19 vaccinations to ensure an equitable recovery from the pandemic.
Boston’s COVID-19 metrics (wastewater, daily cases, and hospitalizations) have increased steadily since the start of the school year. Given increased transmission risk, BPHC is urging residents to protect themselves by getting vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible to ensure strong immunity against COVID-19, as opposed to waiting for the holiday season.
“There is a critical need to improve vaccination uptake among school-aged children in Boston, and it is important for all eligible individuals to get the new bivalent omicron-specific booster. This event is another opportunity for us to break down barriers to care and bring COVID vaccines and boosters directly to our communities,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “I encourage everyone to protect themselves, their families, and those closest to them by getting vaccinated or boosted.”
First and second doses of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series will be available for everyone ages 6-months and older at Saturday’s clinic. Booster doses will also be available, including the new bivalent booster, which provide the broadest level of protection from COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. Bivalent boosters are only available for eligible individuals ages 12 and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech monovalent booster approved for children ages 5-11 will be available, as well.
BPHC administered more than 700 COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses during a recent family-friendly event at White Stadium. In response to the overwhelming turnout at the last vaccination event, BPHC has extended hours, increased staffing, improved accommodations, and designated lines for registered guests at the October 1 event.
Individuals can register ahead of the event here, however, it is not required to get vaccinated. Please note that registering in advance does not guarantee an individual a gift card. Walk-ins are also welcome, but space is limited.
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are widely available throughout Boston. For a full list of clinics in and around the city, visit boston.gov/covid19-vaccine or https://vaxfinder.mass.gov.