Worcester location chosen as Central Massachusetts super vaccination site
Updated Feb 04, 2021;
The briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m. on the campus of the university.
In discussing a possible site previously, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said a site would have the capacity to vaccinate more than 1,000 people per day.
Gillette Stadium began operation as the state’s first mass vacation center last week. Soon after, officials announced Fenway Park would become another hub that could vaccinate thousands per day. Fenway began administering vaccines this week.
The Worcester location joins other mass vaccination sites around that state including the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury and the Doubletree Hotel in Danvers.
Study shows AstraZeneca COVID vaccine was 76% effective with 3-month hiatus between doses, reduced transmission rate by 67%
Updated Feb 03, 2021;
A study published Tuesday showed that the COVID vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca was more effective when the second dose was delayed more than six weeks.
The research performed by scientists at the University of Oxford showed that a single dose of the vaccine was 76% effective against COVID-19 for the first 90 days.
The report showed the two-dose vaccine’s effectiveness actually improved when the second dose was delayed. The vaccine’s efficacy increased from 54.9% with an interval of less than six weeks to 82.4% when spaced 12 or more weeks apart.
WORCESTER The Telegram & Gazette hosted a panel of city and health officials who took questions on the COVID-19 vaccine and distribution Thursday.
The panel was made up of Worcester Medical Director Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, Public Health Director Karyn Clark, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. and Dr. Robert Finberg, an infectious diseases specialist for UMass Memorial Health Care.
The session, with Dave Nordman, executive editor of the Telegram & Gazette, sharing reader questions, was streamed via Facebook Live.
As Massachusetts prepares to enter Phase 2 of vaccine distribution in February, several readers had questions about eligibility requirements, vaccine distribution and when they can expect to get a dose. The panelists explained misconceptions about the vaccine, the possibility of a super site in the city and the likely timing of vaccine availability.