Health

Mass vaccination site at Hynes Convention Center boosts number of vaccines

BOSTON — Even before today’s announcement of the Johnson & Johnson supply increasing, the state was already getting new help from the federal government at the Hynes Convention Center. The FEMA community vaccination site was adding thousands of new appointments in the coming days.

In a time-lapse Boston 25 captured, you can see the people coming and going as the Hynes Convention Center significantly bumped up vaccinations. CIC Health’s Rodrigo Martinez said they worked with FEMA to help train Navy personnel to increase staffing levels.

“It is centrally located, there is public transportation, there’s parking.” Martinez said.

The site will reach more 6,000 doses per day by Friday. CIC Health said it can do even more, especially as more of the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is sent out.

“What it does do is, simply, that people don’t have to come back to get their second dose,” Martinez said.

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“Very simple, they made it painless,” John from Weymouth said. “I parked underneath. It was free parking.”

You can enter the mass vaccination site from Boylston Street or from inside the Prudential Center. The parking garage under the Hynes is doing free two-hour parking.

Teri Adler got her first shot Wednesday.

“I found myself very emotional and tearing up as I was going through the line to get in because it was a very long year,” Adler said.

Teri shared video from her cell phone showing no lines or backups inside.

>>>MORE: Mass. receiving 100,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses next week

“Totally convenient. Everyone is really friendly. They rush you right in even if you are a little bit early, they say no problem. It was very fast,” Adler said.

Right now, the Hynes is using one of the two-shot vaccines, but they will be switching over to Johnson & Johnson in the coming weeks.

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