Series of flu, COVID vaccination clinics planned in Franklin County

Cooperative Public Health Service public health nurses Lisa White (right), Meg Ryan (center) and nurse Jackie Choate (left) prepare to provide home vaccination visits in the fall of 2022.

Cooperative Public Health Service public health nurses Lisa White (right), Meg Ryan (center) and nurse Jackie Choate (left) prepare to provide home vaccination visits in the fall of 2022. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Staff Report

Published: 10-07-2024 3:11 PM

Local health officials are collaborating with state-funded mobile vaccination operations to offer flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics in the coming month.

“As a public health nurse, I am urging everyone to come out to one of our vaccination clinics,” Greenfield Public Health Nurse Megan Tudryn said in a statement. “Now is the perfect time of the year to get vaccinated.”

According to Phoebe Walker, director of community health with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, FRCOG is supporting local public health partners by maintaining a webpage of vaccine information, which includes details about the local clinics as well as vaccine programs at pharmacies.

“There is a long list of public clinics and great information about how to get vaccinated at pharmacies as well — and you can sign up right from the page,” Walker said about frcog.org/covid.

Maureen O’Reilly, a health educator and epidemiologist for FRCOG’s Cooperative Public Health Service, said getting flu and COVID-19 vaccinations can help prevent serious illness and reduce an individual’s risk of hospitalization and disease complications. Current research indicates that the COVID-19 vaccine can help prevent Long COVID, she added.

“On a community level, getting vaccinated can be helpful to protect our friends and neighbors who may be particularly vulnerable to getting very sick or may not be able to get vaccinated due to health conditions they may have,” O’Reilly said in a statement.

The state Department of Public Health has provided funding for the company CDR Maguire to send vaccine and clinic staff to Franklin County locations. Those without insurance can receive a no-cost vaccine at these clinics.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics are spread out across Franklin County, from Northfield to Sunderland and from Erving to Charlemont. Clinics will be held on:

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■ Thursday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Gill-Montague Senior Center (flu only).

■ Thursday, Oct. 10, 3:30 to 6 p.m. — Deerfield Elementary School.

■ Thursday, Oct. 17, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. — Northfield Senior Center.

■ Friday, Oct. 18, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. — Greenfield High School.

■ Monday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to noon — Bernardston Senior Center.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 22, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Hawlemont Elementary School in Charlemont.

■ Wednesday, Oct. 23, 4 to 7 p.m. — Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield.

■ Thursday, Oct. 24, 4 to 7 p.m. — Montague Town Hall.

■ Wednesday, Oct. 30, 3:30 to 7 p.m. — Mohawk Trail Regional School.

■ Thursday, Oct. 31, noon to 3 p.m. — Erving Senior Center.

■ Friday, Nov. 1, 4 to 7 p.m. — Newton School in Greenfield.

In addition to these public vaccination resources, public health nurses Lisa White and Meg Ryan from FRCOG’s Cooperative Public Health Service are vaccinating isolated and vulnerable residents in home and community settings like food pantries in the district’s 15 member towns.