Starting this month, the Boston Public Health Commission will hold free vaccine clinics across the city, offering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to ensure that they are accessible to residents who face barriers to getting vaccinated.
“Vaccination is the safest and most effective tool we have to reduce the risk of serious illness from respiratory viral illness, like the flu,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s commissioner of public health. “By hosting free vaccine clinics where residents already spend much of their time, we are making great strides towards ensuring that vaccines are accessible to all.”
While Ojikutu said it’s “difficult to predict the severity of this year’s flu season at this time,” she said that “given the relative severity of last year’s flu season, including a high rate of serious illness among young children, BPHC strongly encourages all Boston residents ages 6 months and older to receive a flu vaccine.”
The vaccine clinics will begin on Sept. 23, just before the peak of respiratory virus season, and there are 20 at various locations around the city scheduled to be held through early December.
All clinics will offer free flu and COVID-19 vaccines and no appointment is needed, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. Insurance and ID are also not required, but it’s recommended that those with a health insurance card bring it with them.
The commission is also offering in-home vaccinations this year to improve vaccine access for older adults who may have difficulty traveling to a clinic or pharmacy. Residents can call the Mayor’s Health Line at 617-534-5050 to see if they qualify and schedule a vaccination.
The clinics are part of this city’s Live Long and Well agenda to advance health equity, BPHC’s free vaccine clinics help remove systemic barriers to care by bringing essential preventative health resources directly into impacted communities, regardless of insurance status, cost and access to primary care providers.
Besides the flu vaccine for those older than 6 months, the Boston Public Health Commission strongly recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for infants ages 6-23 months; children ages 2-18 years with underlying medical conditions, living in congregate settings, or who are in contact with higher risk individual; and all Boston residents ages 19 and older.
During last year’s flu season, 364 people in Massachusetts died from the flu, including two children in Boston, according to the commission.
“The evidence-based science behind vaccinations has been keeping us safe for decades, and BPHC will continue to let expert advice guide our work,” said Ojikutu. “This commitment allows us to protect our families and keep loved ones safe, particularly during respiratory virus season.”
