Another mass vaccination site in MA closes

BOSTON — It’s done, finito, finished - and hopefully for good. The Hynes Convention Center’s mass vaccination site was open for exactly three months. Since replacing Fenway Park, Cambridge’s CIC Health administered more than 330,000 shots, including to David da Silva of Everett, one of the communities hit hardest by COVID-19.

“My mom had the coronavirus, and my concern was she could not get the disease again, that’s why I brought her here to take this vaccine,” said da Silva, one of the last people there.

When Paige Hall signed up to get her first Pfizer vaccine shot, she didn’t realize it would be her last at this site.

“She was like ‘oh you cannot come back with the second one, we’re almost done at this location,’ which is awesome,” Hall said after getting her first shot.

We saw Gillette’s mass vaccination site close last week and now the Hynes Convention Center, a place that was packed a couple of months ago, is also empty. From February 1 to March 27, more than 56,000 vaccines were administered at Fenway Park after it was transformed into a clinic. In total, the state’s seven mass vaccination sites are responsible for giving nearly 2 million doses of the vaccine.

“This room was much more full back in February and March, as you can see there are only 10 vaccination stations now, so it is very different,” said vaccinator Alessandro Cavaliere.

From February 1 to March 27, more than 56,000 vaccines were administered at Fenway Park after it was transformed into a clinic. In total, the state’s seven mass vaccination sites are responsible for giving nearly 2 million doses of the vaccine.

PREVIOUS: Fenway Park mass vaccination site to move to Hynes Convention Center

“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking anyone else’s shot if anyone else needed it, so as soon as I got the go-ahead I got the shot,” said Ilko Mihov of Boston.

As the final people got the shots in their arms, reality started to set in for the health care workers.

“When we started this in January and cases were on the rise and just a couple of months ago cases were on the rise and knowing that we were part of stopping Covid and saving lives, there’s not really words for it,” said vaccinator Kristen Ruddock. “It’s just amazing to be a part of.”

Reality also set in for the people getting vaccinated.

“The past year has been crazy for me and everyone else,” Hall said. “It will be great to have everything go back to somewhat normal.”

The push will now be to keep the vaccination sites in the neighborhoods instead of the mass locations, but if you are doing it at the mass vaccination sites, you won’t have much time as they are all scheduled to close by July.

The mass vaccination site at the Natick Mall is set to close on Wednesday. The Reggie Lewis Center’s site will close Sunday, and the vaccination site at the Doubletree in Danvers will close June 30. CIC Health and Curative will continue to support community-based vaccination efforts by helping with mobile and on-site clinics for employers and schools.

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