Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 ~ OP-ED ~ First responders need vaccine now By Senator Sal DiDomenico O ne of the greatest bright spots of 2020 and now leading into this New Year has been the speedy development and subsequent rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. For the fi rst time in many months, we are fi nally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with the promise that someday soon we will all receive the inoculation needed to stay safe from this deadly virus that has ravaged our communities. Of course, the fi rst phase of the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has rightfully been dedicated to reaching our healthcare workers and fi rst responders; those on the front lines who have already risked so much to serve us in the midst of this public health crisis. However, Phase 1 of this rollout is already off to a slow Gina S Soldano REALTOR® ABR®, AHWD, e-PRO®, GREEN, MRP®, PSA®, SFR®, SRES®, SRS® Broker/Associate Millennium Real Estate 291 Ferry Street, Everett, MA 02149 (857) 272-4270 Gina.Soldano@era.com gsoldanorealtor.com and rocky start. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that the goal of “Operation Warp Speed” on the national level was to get the COVID-19 vaccine to 20 million Americans by the end of the year, and yet just over two million Americans have been vaccinated thus far. At that rate, it has been estimated it would take the United States 10 years to vaccinate 80 percent of Americans. That is an unacceptable lack of leadership at the federal level, which undoubtedly has exacerbated the vaccine rollout issues we are already facing in the Commonwealth. Here in Massachusetts, I am also deeply concerned about the lack of clarity, transparency, and communication on how and when vaccines will be administered to the priority populations that fall within Phase 1 of the vaccine rollout. Many members of our first responder community – especially our fi refi ghters, paramedics, EMTs, and police offi cers – have indicated that they have received little to no information about when vaccines will be provided to emergency personnel or how it will be administered to them during the Phase 1 timeline. The current plan for administering the vaccine Sal DiDomenico State Senator to public safety personnel is to give that responsibility to local boards of health, all of which have already been forced to take on extraordinary and overwhelming responsibilities throughout this public health emergency. Many public safety offi cials and my legislative colleagues have raised concerns that this plan has led to confusion and delay around vaccine rollout. Vaccinating our public safety personnel will not be as simple as it is for hospital personnel or even long-term care facility residents. The disparate geographic nature of our public safety community is something we must plan for accordingly, not only to guarantee all fi rst responders receive the vaccinations they need, but also to ensure they receive the communication from public health officials that they deserve. Unfortunately, our Commonwealth’s already overburdened local boards of health are structurally unprepared to execute this massive undertaking, especially without additional support and guidance at the state level. That is why I am joining with my colleagues in calling upon the Baker Administration to implement two key recommendations. First, we must create a regionalized plan in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security on how to distribute and administer the vaccine to our public safety personnel. This plan should take into account how and when different regions will be able access vaccines and how the Baker Administration plans to prioritize each region and department. Our local boards of health cannot do this on their own and the state must step up to ensure our public safety offiOP-ED | SEE PAGE 15 COVID testing line runs down Elm Street Scores of residents waited outside the city’s COVID-19 testing site at the Recreation Center on Elm Street. Everett currently has the ninth highest COVID-19 rate in Massachusetts. (Advocate photos by Christopher Roberson)
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