Mass. congressional leaders to Baker: Centralize COVID-19 vaccination

Dear Governor Baker, 

We write to express our serious concerns regarding the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. We appreciate that this undertaking has presented numerous challenges, many of which have been compounded by the Trump Administration’s mishandling of the pandemic, and recognize your administration’s recent efforts to improve accessibility of vaccine scheduling for seniors. 

However, we remain deeply concerned that the absence of a centralized pre-registration system for vaccine appointments has contributed to a slow and inequitable deployment of vaccines in Massachusetts, a trend that will only be exacerbated by increased demand as appointments open up to future eligibility groups. We therefore implore you to act with the requisite urgency to develop and implement a centralized, accessible system for all Massachusetts residents to pre-register for COVID-19 vaccinations, confirm eligibility details, and receive notification when an appointment becomes available at a convenient location. 

As we write this letter, over half a million Massachusetts residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and the virus has tragically claimed the lives of almost 15,000 Bay Staters. The pandemic and its economic fallout continue to disproportionately devastate communities of color and immigrant communities, and the emergence of more transmissible variants has only intensified the urgency around vaccine deployment. Yet nearly two months after the arrival of the first Pfizer vaccine doses, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with its prestigious health care infrastructure and wealth of technological innovation, remains at the bottom of every national ranking of states’ vaccine distribution. A disjointed and cumbersome sign-up process has left seniors confused and unable to access desperately needed vaccine appointments, and the disproportionate reliance on mass vaccination sites has left appointments unfilled and large portions of our most vulnerable populations unserved. 

A centralized pre-registration system with multiple access points—including in person sites and telephone operated systems—for vaccine appointments would help to alleviate these challenges by: 

• Increasing equity by identifying communities and/or eligibility groups where targeted outreach is needed to help residents schedule appointments or build confidence in the vaccine; 
• Streamlining the intake and scheduling process for both patients and providers; and 
• Enabling the state to match vaccine supply with demand and ensuring that local providers and clinics would be able to administer enough doses to warrant their allotment. 

We recognize that this type of emergency communication system requires funding, and we will continue to fight for federal resources to both scale up vaccine production and help the Commonwealth ensure vaccines are distributed equitably and efficiently. We appreciate your time and attention to this, and we thank you for your fair and full consideration of our request. 

Sincerely, 

Rep. Katherine M. Clark 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Edward J. Markey 

Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Stephen Lynch 

Rep. William Keating

Rep. Seth Moulton 

Rep. Ayanna Pressley

Rep. Lori Trahan 

Rep. Jake Auchincloss