It’s been over a year now that the pandemic has been part of our life. It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know COVID-19 existed. Now when people say “virus,” we know what they mean. The impact of COVID-19 on our lives, our activities, and our freedom has affected us all. The responsibility is ours, as a community, to help stop this virus. Now we have a new, safe, and effective tool to help us do that—COVID-19 vaccines.
It takes everyone.
We all need to step up to beat COVID-19. We ask you to join us in protecting yourself, your family and friends, and our community by getting vaccinated.
“COVID-19 vaccination is one of the strongest tools we can use to fight this pandemic together,” says Daniel O’Leary, CEO of Mystic Valley Elder Services.
Getting vaccinated adds an important layer of protection for you, your family, and loved ones. Here are some things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are very effective at preventing the disease.
- The most common side effects are pain in the arm where you got the shot, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever.
- Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available—wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated.
We want everyone in our community to be safe and get back to hugging our families and friends and shaking hands with our neighbors.
Get a ride to the site on us!
Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) is providing free vaccine transportation services to adults 60 years and older to COVID-19 vaccine sites. For more information about the vaccine transportation program and to register for your rides, call MVES at (781) 324-7705. It is encouraged to call us as soon as possible to book your rides.
We all play a part in this effort, and you are key. Please sign up to get your COVID-19 vaccination by visiting here.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit CDC’s FAQs web page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html.
Vaccine Eligibility
More people are becoming eligible for the vaccine in Massachusetts this month. The state announced updates to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for people who live, work or go to school in Massachusetts.
- Currently, all people over age 60, those people with two or more serious medical conditions, and those people with certain jobs are eligible for the vaccine.
- Started on Monday, April 5, all people age 55-59 and those people ages 16 to 54 who have at least one serious medical condition become eligible.
- Starting on Monday, April 19, all people age 16-54 become eligible.