Area first responders to get COVID-19 vaccine next week – The Daily News of Newburyport

NEWBURYPORT More than 200 first responders in eight Greater Newburyport communities will have the opportunity to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine against the coronavirus next week as the cityhosts a clinicinside the Community Center.

Newburyport Health Agent FrankGiacalone said the first doses will be administeredThursday, Jan. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m. The second dose then will be givenSaturday, Jan. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m.

The clinic covers first responders in Amesbury, Salisbury, Newburyport, Merrimac, West Newbury, Newbury, Georgetown and Rowley.

"I am very excited to be in a collaborativeto do this for our first responders. They're out there and just to beable to administer it to them (is great news),"Giacalone said. He added that it was heartening to see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of putting the coronavirus virus behind the nation and the world.

Giacalone stressed the clinic is not for the general public but for firefighters, police officers, ambulance and EMT workers, and harbormasters.

First responders are part of the first phase of a three-phase rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Healthcare workers directly working with COVID-19 patients were the first group to have access to the vaccine followed by those living or working in nursing homes andassisted living facilities.

The second phase includes anyone over 65 years of age, those who have preexisting health conditions,educators, grocery store workers, sanitation workers and others.

The vaccine will be made available to the general public in phase three, according to state health officials.

As part of those guidelines, the state required at least 200 first responders be at each clinic, promptingGiacaloneand other health agents toagree on a central location and date.According toGiacalone, the decision to hold the clinic in Newburyport was finalized Thursday.

Shortly before the two clinics, those administratingthe vaccine,most likelyhealth department and school nurses will be vaccinated.

Salisbury police Chief Thomas Fowler said he held a meeting with his officers with the knowledge a clinic would be taking place last week and that a majority of his officers said they would be vaccinated.

"Although we are not mandating it, I am strongly recommending it," Fowler said.

Giacalone said the state has sent him 800 dosesof the vaccine which are stored at Anna Jaques Hospital.

"So thanks to them for helping it out," Giacalone said.

The original plan was to store the vaccine inside asuper cold freezer located within the Health Department. But the freezer failed before the vaccine ever reached the building, promptingGiacaloneto ask hospital officials to store the vaccine there.

"As soon as we received the shipment we sent it over to Anna Jaques,"he said.

In a written statement AJHPresident Mark Goldstein said serving the community was of "deep importance" to the hospital.

While we remain focused on rolling out the vaccine to our staff and providers, we are working closely with Mayor (Donna) Holaday to support the regional efforts to vaccinate first responders in the communities we serve, Goldstein said.

As for when the general public will be able to get vaccinated, Giacalone said he wished he had a "crystal ball," and warned it would be a complicated step-by-stependeavor.

"That's going to be a work in progress,"he said.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter@drogers41008.

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Area first responders to get COVID-19 vaccine next week - The Daily News of Newburyport