There are currently two vaccines in circulation in the U.S. and a potential third on the way, but there have been many challenges in distributing the vaccines over the past couple of months, including here in Massachusetts. GBH Morning Edition host Joe Mathieu spoke with Mass. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel about how the state is working to streamline the vaccination distribution process. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
Joe Mathieu: Governor Baker has acknowledged, as we've been hearing in our news this morning, the frustration that many people are feeling in trying to book appointments for vaccines. You're launching a call center this week, as we just described. Will that make a difference, Commissioner? Are you also revamping that website?
Dr. Monica Bharel: First, I want to acknowledge that I really appreciate that not everyone who wants to get a vaccine right now can get one. For those who are eligible, I urge them to be patient with us. It may take a few weeks before they can get an appointment, but everybody will get vaccinated. We do have a website at mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine where individuals can go to make appointments, and we are working every day to improve that website and make it easier to use. As you know, Joe, individuals who are 75 years and older can get vaccinated [this week], and part of the purpose of the call center is to help individuals in that group who are having trouble using the website to be able to make those appointments. And I do want to say that I know that there's a lot of people out there who are helping their family members, their neighbors and people in their community access the website and navigate it, and I do appreciate that.
Mathieu: The governor had indicated that was about as streamlined as it could get when it was launched. Are you removing steps from the process or how do you make it any easier to use?
Bharel: So we're working every day on improvements. For example, in addition to looking at the map, which can sometimes be difficult to read, you can also enter your zip code to make an appointment as well as check what your eligibility is and when you'll be eligible. The very thin silver lining in this very difficult pandemic is that we have demand for the vaccine, which is a good thing. People want to get this vaccine, and the vaccine is a key part of us all exiting this pandemic.
Mathieu: We keep hearing about cities and towns setting up their own vaccine sites, even their own phone banks or call centers, in the case of Braintree and Lawrence or a couple that we've mentioned. Are they working in coordination with the state or are they acting on their own here?
Bharel: So we absolutely are working in very close coordination with all of our communities across Massachusetts. It's really going to take all of us to successfully get the majority of individuals in Massachusetts vaccinated. And as you mentioned, when you go to the website, you'll see that there are these mass vaccination sites where you can make an appointment. Those, by the way, are released every Thursday, and today is Thursday. But in addition to that, there are other places where individuals can get vaccinated, including their local pharmacies and as you mentioned, local sites that are set up in collaboration with the local boards of health, as well as in some health care systems. So all of these sites are available. The mass vax sites are updated every Thursday, but I urge individuals to keep checking back to the website every couple of days because the pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS, they do add slots on almost a daily basis.
Mathieu: Well, I'm glad you mentioned that because supply is obviously a major factor here. The White House is promising an increase — I believe, 20,000 doses a week maybe a month from now — that we'll be getting here in Mass. But in terms of distribution, Commissioner, does the state now have the number of mass vaccination sites that we need — Fenway, Reggie Lewis, Gillette — or will there be more?
Bharel: You're asking a very important question about the supply and the demand, and our capacity to meet that. As you mentioned, our supply still does remain constrained, although I'm cautiously optimistic that we are starting to get more supply. So just focusing on supply for a minute, we have two vaccines right now: the Moderna one and the Pfizer one. And as we know, Johnson and Johnson hopefully will put in for the EUA to get evaluated at the FDA this week. And there are others behind them in the pipeline. As more vaccines become available, as production increases, that improves the supply. And what we're working on in Massachusetts is to make sure that we have the capacity to be able to have the vaccines that we need. We have about 125 sites right now giving vaccines. By mid-February, that'll be up to over 160. And we're working, as the supply increases, to make sure that we're looking at areas such as mass vaccination and local options in order to get vaccine to individuals because part of our program is really making sure that individuals can also access the vaccine in their own communities where they may feel most comfortable.
Watch: Does the state have any say in which vaccines are used in various places, or do we take what we get?
Mathieu: Later this month, as I understand, people 65 and older will also become eligible for shots. Do you worry about a new supply and demand problem? The governor had indicated that the state would boost distribution, that we'll be building the plane in flight here, but the doses also need to arrive.
Bharel: Absolutely. So as we continue in our phasing, I want to take a step back and say that the core principles that we built our vaccine distribution plan on were threefold. And that was one, to make sure that we protect and preserve lives; two, to make sure that we preserve our health care system; and three, to make sure that we reach the hardest hit populations. I mention that because when you look at our phasing, you can see that play out. In phase one, we were really focused on reaching our health care providers and vulnerable populations. And now as we move into phase two, we'll begin to vaccinate 75 and older, 65 and older [and] individuals with comorbidities, and we will build our capacity as the supply comes in and as we expand further. We all have this common goal of making sure that enough individuals in Massachusetts are vaccinated for us to be able to exit this pandemic and return to normal life.
Mathieu: It's quite a balancing act between the states and the federal government here. Lastly, Commissioner, the last time we spoke was after you recovered from COVID yourself and got back to work last spring. I just wonder if you've had any lasting symptoms since then, or if you're feeling well.
Bharel: Joe, thanks so much for asking. As I've said many times, it was a terrifying experience for me to have COVID-19, and more importantly for me, for my family members to have it. I am incredibly grateful that all of us have fully recovered. We do not have any [long-term] symptoms of COVID. But I will say that having COVID really helped me appreciate the powerful impact that this virus can have and its capacity to cause illness. And I'm just grateful every day that we were able to recover. In addition, I mourn every day the people that we've lost in Massachusetts. I know this has been a year full of deep pain and suffering and a lot of sacrifices for the residents of Massachusetts. If there's one thing we've learned, it's that we're all in this together. And as we move forward, I really hope that people will keep in mind that until we are out of this pandemic, we really need to continue to practice masking, social distancing, proper hygiene [and] not gathering in large groups. I know this has lasted longer than any of us have wanted to, but we're almost at the finish line and I appreciate everybody working together. And when it's their turn, I encourage everybody to get their vaccine.
