Gov. Baker Tours CHA Vaccination Center at Encore Boston Harbor
CHA CEO Assaad Sayah, MD, hosts Gov. Baker and other Mass. officials, announces launch of Metro North Vaccination Partnership
On Thursday, May 5, CHA was honored to welcome Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders to our COVID-19 Vaccination Center at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett. CEO Assaad Sayah, MD, led a tour of the site and detailed CHA’s vaccination program. State Senator Sal DiDomenico, State Rep. Joe McGonagle and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria joined the Mass. officials at the event.
After the tour, Dr. Sayah opened Gov. Baker's COVID-19 press briefing by discussing the launch of the Metro North COVID-19 Vaccination Partnership – a consortium of nine cities, CHA and Tufts University. The partnership will operate three joint vaccination sites to expand COVID-19 vaccine access in the metro-north area: the Gantcher Center at Tufts University, CHA’s vaccination center in Somerville, and Encore, with CHA serving as the health provider for all sites.
Gov. Baker spoke about the Commonwealth’s success with vaccinations, leading the country in second doses and maintaining one of the lowest vaccine hesitancy rates in the nation. He explained the importance of targeted community-based outreach like the Metro North Partnership and emphasized the development of mobile and walk-up clinics. Sec. Sudders noted how the state's vaccine wastage is one of the lowest in the country and commended CHA for not wasting a single dose. She discussed the increased vaccine supply heading to CHA as part of the partnership's efforts and added, “I know you will get every one of those doses into people’s arms.”
(Photos by Joshua Qualls/Governor’s Press Office)