Tufts began vaccinating members of the community included in Phase 1 of theMassachusetts COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan on Jan. 6.
“Our plan, which is being developed with the input of a committee with representation from all Tufts’ schools, will prioritize health and safety, follow guidance from public health authorities and be equitable in its treatment of the many constituencies within our community,” University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan wrote in an email to the Daily.
According to the Massachusetts vaccine distribution timeline, clinical and non-clinical health care workers and first responders engaged in direct and COVID-19-facing care are eligible for vaccines in Phase 1, which began in December 2020 and goes until February 2021.
Most were vaccinated at Tufts Medical Center, including patient-facing medical and dental students, faculty and staff; patient-facing occupational therapy students; Health Service staff; Counseling and Mental Health Services staff; and COVID-19 surveillance testing support staff, according to Jordan.
Jordan noted that first responders, including Tufts Emergency Medical Services employees, Tufts University Police Department officers and Tufts University Public Safety dispatchers, received vaccines from the cities of Somerville and Worcester. Others were vaccinated at state-sponsored clinics.
He said that although the vaccine will decrease the chances of contracting the virus and likely make symptoms less severe, it cannot guarantee complete protection.
“Regardless of vaccination status, the university will continue to require everyone to comply with routine COVID-19 surveillance testing and protocols for physical distancing, wearing of face masks, hand hygiene, contract tracing/quarantine and isolation,” Jordan said.
Interim Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Gerard "Chip" Coletta said the vaccination process was simple due to TUPD’s partnership with local health departments.
“When the process for vaccinations started getting ramped up and they were talking about [vaccinating] first responders, they mandated that it be handled through the various municipal health departments,” he said. “We were able to piggyback on the Somerville process.”
Emily Brower, director of operations for TEMS, received the vaccine at the Somerville Fire Department among local first responders. She said it was nice to see others doing similar work in the community.
“I was really excited to have a chance to get it and to be protected in that way while we work and serve the Tufts community,” Brower, a junior, said.
Coletta said he was lucky to have a smooth vaccination process.
“It was quick,” Coletta said. “The thing that took the longest was the waiting 15 to 20 minutes to make sure that there were no side effects or any issues [after] receiving the vaccine.”
While the process was easy for him, Coletta acknowledged the hurdles involved with a large-scale vaccine rollout.
"Once they take them out of refrigeration, they have to use them...If people don't show up, then the vaccine is going to waste," he said.
Brower said that as far as she knows, everyone on TEMS who is eligible to receive the vaccine will get it.
“We're actually making it essentially a requirement for people on TEMS to receive it so that we can continue to operate and work at full force and no one gets sick or potentially faces any unnecessary risks as we continue to work,” she said.
According to Brower, it is important both for logistical and safety reasons that members of TEMS get vaccinated.
“We try to run 24 hours [a day] seven days a week having coverage, so if you pull one person out of the puzzle it really affects our operations," she said.
While TUPD did not mandate that everyone be vaccinated, Coletta said approximately 75% of those eligible have received or plan to receive the vaccine.
Similar to TEMS, TUPD’s shift-style operation and interaction with the community makes vaccinations crucial, according to Coletta.
“If we lose an officer or several officers to someone testing positive and then others have to quarantine because of a close contact, then we can't staff our shifts, and it impacts public safety,” Coletta said. “By the nature of their business, [TUPD officers] interact with students, they interact with community members.”
Phase 2 of Massachusetts' Vaccine Distribution Timeline, which spans February and March 2021, prioritizes individuals aged 75 and older. Following them are individuals aged 65 and older; those with two or more comorbidities; workers in fields such as early education, K-12 education, grocery, utility, food services and sanitation; and individuals with one comorbidity.
Jordan said that the state projects beginning to vaccinate the general public during Phase 3 in mid-April, although the timeline is subject to change.
“Tufts will follow the state’s phases and, as a result, the majority of our student community would be eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 3,” Jordan said. “We are currently contemplating a policy that, in accordance with state guidance, will strongly encourage vaccination but not require it.”
Brower said that despite the slow start to vaccinations nationwide, she hopes everyone gets the vaccine once it is available to them in order to protect the community.
“The vaccine is getting rolled out slowly simply because there is not enough supply of it across the nation, but I think once we reach the level where we can vaccinate everyone, I would strongly encourage people to do it, ” she said. “On TEMS…our work is in protecting the community health, and part of that is that everyone who is healthy enough and can get the vaccine should eventually try to do so because as members of the community we have a responsibility to protect people who can’t necessarily protect themselves in that way.”
