More residents to become eligible for vaccine in coming weeks

Mar 17, 2021

All residents over 16 will be eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine starting April 19, according to a March 17 announcement from Governor Charlie Baker.

Currently, those over the age of 65, healthcare workers, those with two or more certain medical conditions, educators, and those who live or work in low-income or affordable senior housing are eligible.

Everyone over the age of sixty, along with essential workers in industries including grocery store and food service employees, transit workers, and court employees, will be eligible for the vaccine on Monday, March 22.

On April 5, those who are 55 or older or who have a “high-risk” medical condition will become eligible. On April 19, all adults over the age of 16 will be eligible for the vaccine.

Dartmouth currently has two vaccination clinics. One is run by Southcoast Health at the VF Outlet and another run by state contractor Curative out of the former Circuit City, both on Faunce Corner Road.

A third clinic run by the town’s Board of Health out of the Dartmouth High School was forced to stop operating after the state pulled doses from local clinics to prioritize its own mass sites.

With many more residents becoming eligible for the vaccine in the near future, the state warned that it may take several weeks to schedule a vaccine appointment due to limited supply.

The state recently launched a pre-registration system that will notify people when there are appointments available for them at the mass vaccination sites.

Anyone who cannot fill out the form online can ask a family member, companion or caregiver to fill it out, or call the state’s vaccination help line by dialing 211.

The online form asks for various information including date of birth, address and preferred method of communication.

It also asks for occupation and comorbidity information, which could affect how soon someone is eligible for the vaccine.

It takes less than five minutes to preregister. 

Preregistering does not prevent you from making an appointment to be vaccinated somewhere other than a state mass vaccination site if an alternative location can vaccinate you sooner.  

To sign up for the state’s pre-registration system, go to VaccineSignUp.mass.gov.

Those eligible for the vaccine can find appointments at other providers around the state using the state’s website www.mass.gov/CovidVaccineMap

Vaccine supply and available appointments at the Southcoast Health VF Outlet site are dependent on the state and could vary from week to week.

Those interested in getting vaccinated at the VF Outlet can now sign up as slots are available either through their MyChart account or at www.southcoast.org/covid-19-vaccine-scheduling/, which does not require a MyChart account.

Residents who are older who do not have access to a computer, and who may need assistance accessing the clinic, should contact the Dartmouth Council on Aging at (508) 999-4717.