New Bedford is rolling out a fleet of mobile vaccination clinics through the end of July as the city aims to boost its COVID-19 vaccination rates, which are below the statewide average.
City officials hope to inoculate as many residents as possible this summer before schools reopen, according to Damon Chaplin, head of the New Bedford Health Department. “We’ve taken the position of going ultra-local,” said Chaplin. “Basically, door by door; neighborhood by neighborhood.”
The mobile clinics will be stationed throughout the city to administer doses of either the Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer vaccine.
“We’re still trying to get our vaccination rates up,” said Chaplin. “So we’re using data to inform exactly which neighborhoods we’re going to.”
On Thursday, the mobile clinic will be at Loretta Borque Park in the South End from 1PM to 8PM. The rest of the month’s schedule is available online.
The vans will also anchor teams of multilingual canvassers who will knock on doors in the neighborhoods. Canvassers will provide information about the vaccines and offer shots in-home for those who prefer not to visit the mobile clinics.
The vaccines will be offered for free. No appointment or identification are required.
Recipients will get a $25 gift card to Market Basket and a $20 gift card to Dunkin Donuts.
Anyone vaccinated in Massachusetts is eligible to enter to win $1 million or a college scholarship through the state’s VaxMillions Giveaway.
