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SALEM BEGINS REGISTRATION OF COVID VACCINES FOR HOMEBOUND SENIORS

BY ALLYSHA DUNNIGAN| February 22, 2021

SALEM — Salem has extended registration for COVID-19 vaccines to homebound seniors, aged 65 and older, allowing them to join the at-home vaccination program that is being developed in the next few weeks.

Registration for the program — which is dependent on how much vaccine is available from the state — indicates to the city of Salem that the senior is medically restricted to their home, bed-bound, and unable to access a vaccination clinic site, with or without assistance.

The registration is available strictly to Salem residents aged 65 and older.

Homebound seniors, or their caregivers, can complete the brief form online at www.salem.com/homeboundsenior, or request a hard copy to be mailed by calling the Salem Council on Aging (COA) at 978-744-0924. All forms must be completed and submitted before noon on Friday.

“We are working diligently to broaden access to as many eligible Salem residents as possible,” said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “This registration is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that our community’s most vulnerable are able to get this vital protection against COVID-19. I encourage any Salem senior who is not able to leave their home to complete this registration, or have their caregiver do so, so that we will be able to get to them with the vaccine as soon as it’s available to us.”

Local health and social worker staff will review registrations for eligibility for at-home vaccination based on legitimate medical infirmities. They will prioritize eligible residents for vaccination at home, once vaccine doses become available, or provide the listing to state public health officials who may be conducting at-home vaccinations.