On February 10, the Mattapoisett Board of Health received the good news that COVID-19 vaccines had been distributed to the first group of 100 residents lucky enough to have their application drawn from the first pool.
Public Health Nurse Emily Field and soon-to-be-retired Public Health Nurse Amanda Stone reported that the town had received its first batch of 100 vaccines and that inoculations had gone smoothly. But as they spoke to the lottery system employed to select residents age 75 and over and/or healthcare workers employed in Mattapoisett, they were also cautiously optimistic about the state’s distribution system.
“We are awaiting news … vaccine will trickle in,” Field said.
Of those who were selected for the first clinic, Field said people were receptive to information about the virus and the vaccine itself. She also said that those receiving their first vaccine would be guaranteed the necessary second dose. But when another group of 100 may receive their first dose was anyone’s guess. Field said that large shipments were going to the state-run clinics and that, since receiving the initial shipment, a second shipment had not come through to Mattapoisett. “We used all 100 doses but got nothing this week,” she told the board.
Field said that registration for future first doses could continue to take place and explained the process. She said people could fill out a paper form or go to the town’s website, Mattapoisett.net. Those completed medical forms are then placed in a box located in the police station lobby. Each Wednesday at 2:00 pm and with an impartial witness on hand, 100 forms are selected from the pool. Those not selected from the pool become part of a second drawing until all registration forms from the first pool have been selected. Subsequent pools will follow the same protocol, it was explained. The pools are not combined.
When asked how many registrations had been received in the first pool, Stone responded, “When we have a breathing moment, we’ll tally them up. It wasn’t an overwhelming number.” Stone also shared the delicate manner in which the vaccine must be handled. In order to ensure there was sufficient medication for all invited to the first clinic, several doses had to be kept in reserve. She explained that a dropped vile could not be used and that, unlike other viral serums, these new medications cannot be shaken. She said that after the first clinic, the few remaining doses were offered to other members of the first pool.
Stone also explained that some first-pool applicants were turned away due to unforeseen circumstances such as having a surgical procedure scheduled too closely to receiving an inoculation. “Screening was important to make sure people were eligible,” she said.
When asked if she had received the vaccine, Stone stated that she didn’t believe she was vulnerable, that given her age and general health, ability to maintain 6 feet of distance, and wear a mask, her risk assessment was very low. Board member Ken Dawicki wondered if Stone would have to be quarantined if her work put her in the path of the virus. “I would not be considered a close contact,” Stone responded, adding that no one is immune. She said that her physical presence is not necessary and that “I can be working from home.”
Managing the flow of vaccine once received by the community health department is key, the nurses said, making sure a second dose is available is critical and would supersede the distribution of a first dose to the second pool. And the timing is tight. Every Monday, communities receive a survey from the state health department. “By Saturday, we are advised how many we’ll receive,” Field said. Stone said the state-run clinics were receiving the majority of available vaccines.
That comment elicited a strong response from BOH member Russell Bailey who exclaimed, “That’s just Big Brother saying shut-up and take what you get.… If we get 100 shots every two weeks, we’ll be vaccinating people ‘til the cows come home!”
Stone said that more sites like local pharmacies and medical groups will begin to open up but that currently, “It’s not an easy process.” She said that if someone in the community secures an appointment at an out-of-town location, the Council on Aging will provide transportation.
In other business, draft changes to the sanity standards were discussed. Most significant was a change that would now require new construction to have basements below established and certified groundwater levels.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, at 10:00 am.
Mattapoisett Board of Health
By Marilou Newell