Chaos At A Danvers Mass Vax Site Days After Harvard Gives the State Failing Grades On Vaccinations
DANVERS (CBS) - A crowd of people lined up at the Doubletree Danvers mass vaccination site Wednesday. They arrived after rumors on social media said there were extra doses, even for those not yet eligible.
"I feel bad for ourselves waiting here," said Diane Defeo.
The crowd was turned away, but later Wednesday evening, word spread again and extra doses were given out.
It was the kind of chaos that has earned Massachusetts a scathing report card from the Harvard Kennedy School on its vaccination rollout. The state got an F in deaths per capita, an F in shots per capita, an F in the percent of available doses that are given out, and a D on the months it will take to finish vaccinating.
The Harvard professor who wrote the report says it's not too late. "We've seen cases in the marathon, if you're in Boston, where someone's lagging, and lo and behold, they sort of get determined and get to it," said Professor Graham Allison. But, he said, it would require accountability. "Nobody's been fired for behavior that's not up to par."
That didn't appear to be on Governor Charlie Baker's agenda at his news conference Wednesday. "Probably more than 100,000 people over 75 have already done this at mass vaccination sites," he said.
The National Guard has moved in to help, the governor promising thousands of new appointments available next week and two new mass vaccination sites later this month at the Natick Mall and the former Circuit City in Dartmouth.
He did not budge on reserving appointments only for people in the first phase or at least 75-years-old. He did acknowledge doses have been wasted. "Roughly 1,300 vaccines, which we would have much rather seen go into somebody's arms. If anyone performs really poorly on this, we're just going to stop giving them the vaccine," he said.
To receive a vaccine, individuals must have a scheduled appointment for any site, including mass vaccination sites, and be eligible for a vaccine.
Visit Mass.Gov/CovidVaccine to find out when you're eligible and to book an appointment.
