East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) will open a vaccination site in Chelsea, in partnership with La Colaborativa, on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will begin at 318 Broadway for those ages 75 and older on Thursday, February 4, and residents are invited to schedule an appointment online.
“When COVID-19 arrived in Massachusetts, it became clear early on that the communities that the Health Center serves were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus,” said Manny Lopes, president and CEO of EBNHC. “As we began our plans to roll out the vaccine to the community, we wanted to ensure that we were distributing doses equitably and providing access to our various populations, especially those most vulnerable. Working with a partner like La Colaborativa is one way in which we can bolster our efforts to reach as many people in the community as possible.”
EBNHC is setting up a COVID-19 vaccination site at La Colaborativa (formerly known as the Chelsea Collaborative), which empowers Latinx immigrants to enhance the social and economic health of the community. As trusted institutions within the community, EBNHC and La Colaborativa will offer vaccines in accordance with the state’s guidelines.
“We are grateful that EBNHC has answered the call to expand access to vaccinations for communities like Chelsea, which have suffered disproportionately over the last year due to the pandemic,” said Gladys Vega, executive director of La Colaborativa. “We are a community of essential workers, multi-generational households, and families making painful decisions between paying rent and feeding their children. It’s time to end the suffering by protecting our most vulnerable and getting our people back to work – safely with a vaccine. We are hopeful that this will be the first step in a holistic, equitable, and just recovery for Massachusetts’ hardest-hit communities.”
The City indicated that vaccinations are available by appointment only, and it could take some time to get a local appointment.
Vaccinations will be by appointment only. No walk-ins will be allowed. Initially, only Chelsea residents Ages 75 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine and can start scheduling appointments.
One could begin making appointments as of Tues. February 2, at 9 a.m. To book an appointment at this Broadway location, please call 617-568-4870 or you can go online at www.ebnhc.org.
Because the vaccine supply is limited and the demand is high, residents may have to wait several weeks or longer for a scheduled appointment at this Broadway location. The City said to please also note that there are other public vaccination sites in the Boston area offering vaccines.
“You may contact these sites also to determine if you can obtain a more convenient appointment,” read a statement from the City. “Also, if you have your own doctor at a health care provider such as Mass General or Beth Israel, that provider will likely be contacting you with information on their own vaccination efforts.”
In addition to the vaccination site at 318 Broadway in Chelsea, EBNHC has set up public vaccination sites at 10 Garofalo Street in Revere and 120 Liverpool Street in East Boston. EBNHC is also providing vaccinations for patients of the South End Community Health Center. For more information about EBNHC’s COVID-19 services, please visitebnhc.org.