COVID-19 THIS WEEK IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY: Of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, only four saw new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks (as of Thursday). Lee,
COVID-19 THIS WEEK IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY: Of all communities in Berkshire County, only Pittsfield remains on the state’s color-coded map of perceived COVID-19 risks (at green), with a reported 23
EXTENDED P-EBT: Massachusetts has received federal approval to continue providing Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, or P-EBT, benefits to families this summer, a decision the Department of Transitional Assistance estimates will
Need to get vaccinated at home? No problem.
The stateâs home vaccination program, which had strict eligibility requirements, has been expanded to all state residents unable to get to a vaccine site.
The program employs primarily Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccines to reach people who are homebound or otherwise would need significant support to reach a clinic or pharmacy.
People ages 12 to 17 are also eligible for the program and would receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine that has been approved for that age group.
Previously, the program had been restricted to people who met specific federal criteria. The expanded eligibility comes as the state looks for more vaccine recipients, with increased supply and dwindling demand.
HEARING ON RUINED DOSES: U.S. House lawmakers Wednesday grilled executives of a Maryland biotechnology company that received a $628 million federal contract to manufacture vaccines but ruined nearly 15 million potential doses.
To date, Emergent BioSolutions has not produced a single vaccine dose at its Baltimore manufacturing plant that U.S. regulators have cleared for use, although it has received $271 million of its contract.
The 15 million potential doses that the company threw out after they were contaminated were of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There are more than 100 million doses on hold as regulators check them for contamination, CEO Robert Kramer said at a Wednesday hearing held by a House subcommittee.