COVID-19

LYNN — In an effort to bring vaccines to the residents of the city in places that they feel comfortable, Lynn Community Health Center hosted a vaccination clinic Sunday at Ministerios Visión Cristiana on 333 Union St. Sandra Mendez and her sister Debora Merida, both of whom work at Logan airport, were two Lynn residents who received the vaccine Sunday afternoon. They waited for about an hour after their Sunday church service to receive their shots. “As Christians, we feel like God is in control of it regardless of whether or not there is a vaccine,” said Mendez. “But if this is going to make people around us feel more comfortable, and make ourselves more comfortable, then we’ll do it.” Mendez felt that, if the vaccine clinic hadn’t been in the church, she would not have gotten a shot. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think so,” she said. “We feel at peace here, and because it’s here that’s why we’re getting it. I don’t think I would have gone somewhere else. “We’re helping us but we’re also helping people around us,” said Sandra. “It’s something that at least we have a higher percentage of being safe with it or without it.” For LCHC officials, establishing this element of trust with the community through organizations like the churches is crucial to the vaccination push. “It’s telling why people are receptive to receiving here as opposed to in a traditional health care setting,” said Rosie Conway, the practice manager of the COVID response team for the Lynn Community Health Center. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/11/hundreds-vaccinated-at-ministerios-vision-cristiana-in-lynn/

LYNN — Old Neighborhood Foods hosted its first of two vaccination clinics Friday for employees and their families at the company’s Waterhill Street headquarters. Andrew Demakes, director of operations for Old Neighborhood Foods, said he hopes the centralized vaccination location will ease the nerves and hesitancy of employees. “There’s just been a lot of people that have been nervous and apprehensive about getting the shot,” he said. “That’s the feedback that I’ve been getting talking to people.” He said the goal of the clinics is to centralize the process, while also offering a $100 bonus to entice people to get the vaccine. “We’re trying to get everybody on board with getting vaccinated and through what everybody’s gone through, we thought it would be a nice idea to say ‘hey, if you get vaccinated there’s a little bonus at the end of there,” Demakes said. In an effort to make the process convenient for everyone, Demakes said the company is trying to schedule production around the clinic, which ran from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday. Having the vaccinations at the end of the day was planned out of caution, since Demakes said they didn’t know how people would react to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “We’re giving certain departments off, just in case, so they’re not going to have to take off a day of work,” he said. Old Neighborhood Foods is a manufacturer that offers a range of deli products packaged and distributed to stores and supermarkets. That industry has faced a lot of backlash throughout the pandemic regarding working in close quarters, Demakes said. “We want to make sure that everyone is taken care of,” he said. Lynn Community Health Center provided assistance with setting up the clinic. The health center will receive about a couple hundred doses for each clinic. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/09/old-neighborhood-hosts-clinic-to-vaccinate-employees-in-lynn/

LYNN — New data from the Lynn Community Health Center shows stark racial disparities in vaccine distribution citywide, but when taking into account which patients are eligible for the vaccine, shows that LCHC has been particularly equitable in its vaccine distribution. The Lynn Community Health Center will receive a boost in those efforts thanks to a $6.85 million federal grant it has been awarded through the American Rescue Plan, which will enable LCHC to expand its COVID-19 vaccination, testing and treatment for vulnerable populations. “When you look at citywide data, the numbers are not particularly equitable,” said Dr. Catherine Reyes of the Lynn Community Health Center. “But when you hone in on health center patients who are eligible for the vaccine, it was fairly proportional for our demographics.” Citywide, the data shows Hispanics make up 45 percent of the population, yet only 21 percent of those individuals had received at least one dose of vaccine as of March 25. Asians make up 7 percent of the city, but only account for 5 percent of its vaccinated individuals. And African-Americans make up 12 percent of the city, but only 9 percent of that group had been vaccinated. In contrast, Caucasians make up just 33 percent of the city’s population, but account for more than half, or 54 percent, of its vaccinated individuals. LCHC reported that discrepancy stems largely from data that shows the white population in Lynn tends to trend older, and are thus more likely to have become eligible for the vaccine sooner. “By prioritizing based on age you do tend to have a disproportionate effect on the population,” said Reyes. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/31/successes-and-disparities-in-lynns-vaccine-rollout/

LYNN — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) visited the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute vaccination clinic Monday afternoon to discuss the ongoing efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine locally and across the country. “I’m here to celebrate successes,” said Warren. “I’ve seen people come together from the community health center, from the city, from the National Guard, to make a vaccination site that works.” Warren spoke with Mayor Thomas M. McGee, state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), and state Reps. Peter Capano and Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn), along with Lynn Community Health Center CEO Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and his staff, who have led vaccination efforts in the city. “I’m really excited to have the senator here today to see the dollars they made available making this happen here,” said McGee. “This really is an amazing operation. I think it’s as good of an operation in the state. I’m really proud of the amount of vaccinations we’ve been able to do. And the team is really making this happen.” Lynn Community Health Center was recently awarded a $6.85 million grant from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan legislation, which will be used in its COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. The American Rescue Plan, which was proposed by President Joe Biden and was signed into law on March 11, provided nearly $10 billion to expand vaccine access and education in communities of color, rural areas, municipalities with low-income populations, and other underserved communities in terms of COVID-19 response. Warren’s conversation touched on equity in vaccine distribution, which has been a major goal for the Lynn Community Health Center. Of the minority patients eligible for the vaccine, LCHC Chief Operating Officer Kim Eng said a similar or greater percentage of those patients had received at least one dose. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/29/senator-warren-visits-lynn-vaccine-clinic-housing-authority/

Mayor Thomas McGee and the City of Lynn Department of Public Health are pleased to announce additional upcoming Lynn Educator and Essential Worker Vaccination Clinics. The next clinic will be held on Friday, March 26th at the Breed Middle School Gym, 90 O’Callaghan Way. Moderna first dose vaccines will be administered at this Friday’s clinic. Both educators and essential workers can register for an appointment for the March 26th clinic at https://www.maimmunizations.org//reg/6150200972. Additionally, two (2) Essential Workers ONLY Vaccination Clinics will be held next Monday, March 29th and Tuesday March 30th also at the Breed Middle School Gym. The Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine will be distributed at these Essential Workers Only clinics. ...

http://lynnjournal.com/2021/03/25/vaccine-clinics-for-educators-essential-workers-announced/

Lynn Community Health Center will receive $6.8 Million.
The fiscal year (FY) 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funding for Health Centers provides one-time funding (H8F) for a two-year period of performance to support health centers funded under the Health Center Program to prevent, mitigate, and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to enhance health care services and infrastructure.

https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/american-rescue-plan

Mahaniah started this appointment with Wood, as he does now with many patients, by asking if she’ll get vaccinated.
“I don’t know, it just scares me,” she says. “There’s so much out there and so much misinformation, it’s hard to know what to believe.”
Mahaniah asks Wood more about why the vaccine is scary, where she gets information and whether her family and friends plan to be vaccinated.
“The thing that really influences people whether or not they’re going to get the vaccine is what their social circle is doing,” he says, after the appointment.
Wood has some skeptical family members. She’s eligible for the vaccine based on some high risk medical conditions but has declined so far.
Mahaniah is having a lot of open-ended discussions with patients about their health and vaccines. He says it’s pretty clear that giving people more data is not persuasive. Instead, he uses a technique known as motivational interviewing as he would with patients who smoke or who are due a screening test they’re avoiding.
“I don’t approach these [conversations] as me being able to provide them with the right information to make the right decision,” Mahaniah says. “I’m really approaching these as, let’s try to create a space in which a conversation can happen where they can evince their doubts, their uncertainties.”
...

https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2021/03/14/vaccine-hesitancy-outreach-revere-mgh

LYNN — Vaccines began to be distributed to teachers at the Lynn Tech Field House, the city’s vaccination site, on Thursday. The Lynn Community Health Center, which runs the site in partnership with the city, administered the vaccinations. Marita Gove, a nurse practitioner at LCHC, said she thinks it’s great that teachers are now eligible for the vaccine. COVID-19 cases have been decreasing locally and statewide, and the eligibility for educators comes as schools begin planning for a return to in-person learning. “It’s really exciting,” Gove said. “Obviously, it’s going along the same timeline of a lot more pressure to reopen schools, and I think that is really reassuring to a lot of teachers and staff going in the building knowing that they can at least start the vaccination process.” Gov. Charlie Baker announced last week that teachers, school staff and early childhood educators would become eligible to sign up for the vaccine on Thursday. The announcement was made a day after President Joe Biden said that he’s using “the full authority of the federal government,” directing states to prioritize educators for the coronavirus vaccine and aim for teachers and school staff to have at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of March. Educators will now be able to sign up for a vaccine at CVS pharmacies and vaccination sites across the Commonwealth, including the site at Lynn Tech. Baker cautioned people to be patient, as the shortage of vaccines across the country continues. “If we are patient, everyone who wants [a vaccine] will eventually get one,” he said. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/11/teachers-get-their-covid-shot-at-lynn-tech/

LYNN — It was a morning of worship and learning Sunday, as the largely-Spanish church Ministerios Vision Cristiana partnered with Dr. Catherine Reyes of the Lynn Community Health Center to educate the congregation on the ongoing vaccination process. After the usual services at the Ministerios Vision Cristiana on Union Street, which included song and dance to a live Spanish-language Christian rock soundtrack, Dr. Reyes — who has worked at the Lynn Community Health Center for five years — spoke on common myths associated with the vaccine, how to get vaccinated, and who is eligible. “I know that there are some people that are worried about the vaccine,” said Dr. Reyes to the crowd of about 100 worshippers. “I already took two doses, and both my parents took their first doses.” She explained that the vaccine is available to people who qualify regardless of their immigration status and free whether or not they have health insurance. “It is important to target the messages through someone that people trust,” said Dr. Reyes. “(Those whom) a lot of people trust are their church leaders.” She also felt that it was useful to speak to church groups also because of their reach. The service Sunday was broadcast to hundreds of people, both in person and virtually. Dr. Reyes hoped that her information would dispel misconceptions about the dangers of the vaccine. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/07/an-intersection-of-faith-and-science-at-ministerios-vision-cristiana/

LYNN — The Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) will receive only half of its requested supply of COVID-19 vaccines for the first week of March, due to a statewide shortage. The Lynn Tech Field House Vaccine Site, a partnership between Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) and the city’s Department of Public Health (DPH), will not receive vaccines for first‐dose appointments for the week between, March 3 and March 10. According to Kimberly Eng, the chief operating officer at LCHC, the health center places an order for vaccines every Tuesday and is informed of the allocation it will receive each Friday. However, when LCHC placed its order last Tuesday, it was not informed of the shortage of vaccines until Monday, almost a week later. “This is really frustrating for the community because they want us to open up more appointments, but we can’t until we know that we officially have a supply allocated for us,” Eng said. LCHC ordered 5,000 vaccines but is only receiving 2,400. It will only be getting enough of the second-dose, as opposed to its usual shipments that include both doses. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/02/lynn-health-center-short-on-vaccine/

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