NAHANT — Nahant’s partnership with the Lynn Board of Health to bring COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable residents has been a success so far, Public Health Nurse Deb Murphy said.
Since January, the two communities have joined forces to host a number of vaccine clinics at Breed Middle School in Lynn for eligible Lynn and Nahant residents.
Murphy, who has helped lead the effort alongside Lynn Public Health Nurse Mary Jane Alexander and others, said the partnership has been a huge help to the small island community.
“Lynn took us under their wing more or less because we were too small to do it on our own,” Murphy said. “As all the other towns and cities were partnering up, Lynn stepped right up and said ‘Nahant is welcome to join us.’ We all really appreciated that.”
Such a pairing has been crucial for Nahant, which, due to its small size, wouldn’t otherwise have access to much of the equipment needed to store the vaccine for any period of time.
Although a third vaccine — created by medical device company Johnson & Johnson — was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just a few weeks ago and will require only one injection instead of two, Murphy said that because Nahant doesn’t have the equipment necessary to store the two vaccines currently in wide circulation, the partnership will likely continue throughout the vaccination rollout process.
“Right now we only have two vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, and they both require freezers,” she said.
Murphy added that she felt the partnership has strengthened Nahant’s relationship with neighboring Lynn.
“It’s been such a collaborative effort,” she said. “We’re reaching out to that most vulnerable population, and that’s very important right now.”
To help Nahant residents with what many have called a “complicated” vaccination sign-up process, town officials have set up a program that gives residents the option to call any of four specially-designated phone numbers — staffed by town employees and volunteers — to be taken on a step-by-step walk-through of the process.
“It’s gone really well,” Town Administrator Antonio Barletta told The Item last month. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback. We’re just trying to help (residents) get through the frustrating part. We realize that, because there’s a limited number of vaccines available, it’s going to take time.
“Many times we’re not going to be able to schedule an appointment, but if we can help navigate and at least try, or call them back once an appointment is available, we’ve done our part in being a resource.”
For help setting up an appointment or to ask additional questions, residents can call the Council on Aging at (781) 581-7557, or the Town Hall at (781) 771-5632, (781) 771-6230, or (781) 771-8222.
Barletta said his main concern now is making sure residents are aware of the resources available to them.
“(Residents should) spread the word,” he said. “If they know anybody who’s asking about getting a vaccine or wanting to know if they’re eligible, tell them to go on to the Nahant website and call one of the four numbers there, because there’s a call center with all that information.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
