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Katherine Sabido
Wicked Local
As the state maintains control over the order in which residents can be vaccinated, Cambridge must find alternative ways to prioritize its Black and brown communities during vaccination rollout.
Cambridge councilors adopted a policy order Feb. 3 that called on the city manager to create a plan, in partnership with the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) and local affordable housing organizations, that will ensure “underrepresented” communities including Black and brown communities will be vaccinated in a timely and orderly manner.
As the city prepares for general public inoculation, councilors asked the city manager Monday to explore the feasibility of offering mobile clinics to bring the vaccine directly to residents in underserved areas.
The Cambridge Health Department hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday during which public health officers, medical experts, and government officials provided updates on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and discussed hesitations that some people of color may have about receiving the vaccine.
Moderated by Cambridge mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, the panelists included Cambridge Chief Public Health Officer Claude A. Jacob, Harvard Medical School professor and Cambridge Health Alliance-affiliated physician Michael C. Payne â77, Cambridge Police Superintendent Christine A. Elow, and Cambridge Housing Authority Deputy Executive Director Brenda S. Downing.
To initiate the town hall discussion, Jacob updated Cambridge residents on the progress of the vaccine rollout, especially with regards to senior citizens and people experiencing homelessness. The cityâs efforts to vaccinate its vulnerable populations demonstrates its ability to run a ârobust city-wide vaccine program,â according t