Here's When Newton Will Get The Coronavirus Vaccine

NEWTON, MA —People older than 65 could receive the COVID-19 vaccine as early as February, but the general public in Newton likely won't receive the vaccine until April under the state's three-phase distribution plan.

"In the coming months, the vaccine will be available to all of us," said Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller in a statement. "We can almost see the end. We just need to hang in there together."

Local health departments have been inundated with calls about it, including in Newton. But officials are just referring residents to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health plan that came out earlier this month. See the timeline below.

As of Dec. 29, there were 2,220 people who had tested positive for the virus since March. Of those, 162 people have died.

Nearly 150,000 doses of the vaccine were shipped to the state as of Dec. 22, and of those 35,618 have been administered. As soon as they arrive, medical workers begin the process of getting vaccinated, per the first phase of the program. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines need to be administered twice about three to four weeks apart.

After hospitals, the Department of Public Health immunization lab, and front-line medical workers, the next doses go to the Federal Pharmacy Program and are earmarked for long-term care facility staff and residents.

The vaccine timeline and priority list:

Phase One (December - February)

• Clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers doing direct and COVID-facing care
• Long term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities
• Police, fire and emergency medical services
• Congregate care settings (including corrections and shelters)
• Home-based healthcare workers
• Healthcare workers doing non-COVID-facing care

Phase Two (February - April)

• Individuals with 2+ comorbidities (high-risk for COVID-19 complications)
• Early education, K-12, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers
• Adults 65+
• Individuals with comorbidities

Phase three (April - June)

• General public. Once the vaccine is available to the general public, public vaccine clinics will be available on the CDC’s interactive website: vaccinefinder.org.

The vaccines will be distributed for free with no co-payments.

Read more:

• Feds Cut MA Coronavirus Vaccine Shipment By 20 Percent ...

• MA Vaccine Distribution Plan: General Public Waits Until April ...
• Coronavirus Restrictions, Masks May Be Here 6 to 9 More Months

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.