Quincy police and firefighters closed out a tumultuous year on a high note, becoming some of the first emergency responders in the state to receive coronavirus vaccines as federal officials fumble the rollout of vaccinations on a larger scale.
“This came just at the right time,” said Quincy firefighters union President Tom Bowes.
On Christmas Eve, 60 first responders — 30 police officers and 30 firefighters — got their first shots. A second group will receive vaccines from Manet Community Health Center next week, city officials said.
The city partnered with the North Quincy clinic to ensure any extra doses provided by the state during the initial rollout of the vaccine distribution plan would go to local first responders.
“It did feel special looking back over the year to now be in a place to be able to provide the first set of vaccines to our first responders,” Christopher Walker, chief of staff to Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, told the Herald. “These guys and girls have been out on the front lines the last nine months and this does show — for the first time — that there really is a light at the end of this tunnel.”
Police Capt. John Dougan said, “hopefully this will work out and soon [coronavirus] will be put in the rearview mirror.”
Walker said Manet “really stepped up” to ensure the city’s first responders would be among the first in Quincy to get vaccinated. Clinic officials could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Manet won’t have enough doses after vaccinating health care workers to immunize the roughly 500 police and firefighters in Quincy, but Bowes said he felt “very fortunate” Quincy’s finest were given the opportunity.
“This is just the beginning,” Koch said.
Most first responders across the state will have to wait until mid-January to receive their shots.
State health officials on Thursday met with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and leaders from the first responder community amid criticism over a lack of direction and information, to review draft plans for administering COVID-19 vaccines to firefighters, police and paramedics.
Earlier this week, the president of the statewide firefighters union criticized the state’s plan for a lack of “coordination and communication.”
First responders are in the top priority slot — phase 1 — of the state’s three-phase vaccine distribution roll-out but come after health care workers in COVID-facing care and long-term care facilities.
Vaccines are in high demand and short supply as the state started its vaccine rollout this month and coronavirus cases were back on the climb across the commonwealth following the holidays.
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Quincy police, fire among first emergency responders in Massachusetts to get coronavirus vaccines - Boston Herald
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