Vaccination Efforts Turn to Local Communities with Mass Sites to Close

BOSTON — Mass vaccination sites across the state are shutting down over the next several weeks as the state shifts to a more targeted strategy.

The Baker administration said it’s now focused on ramping up community-based vaccine efforts to reach remaining unvaccinated populations. The Hynes Convention Center is among five mass vaccination sites that will be closing later this month. The two others will be shutting down in early July.

Boston 25 News spoke with chief medical officers at two community health centers who said their work on the ground at the local level won’t be stopping all summer long.

“The next phase of this in some ways is a lot more organizational operational work,” said Dr. Geoffrey Pechinsky, the chief medical officer at the Lynn Community Health Center.

As the state ramps down its vaccine operation, communities across Massachusetts are pivoting tactics to connect with local residents who haven’t been vaccinated yet.

Dr. Pechinsky said the focus now is getting to people who either didn’t have access to get to mass vaccination sites or may still be hesitant.

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