Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services is joining with other area service providers in a campaign to encourage COVID-19 booster shots.

The Metro Boston Aging and Disability Resource Consortium (ADRC) was recently awarded a grant from the Administration for Community Living to promote COVID-19 booster vaccinations to the populations they serve. The Metro Boston ADRC is comprised of community organizations that support older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers: Boston Center for Independent Living, Minuteman Senior Services, Mystic Valley Elder Services, Somerville Cambridge Elder Services and Springwell.

“The Metro Boston Aging and Disability Resource Consortium agencies have been at the forefront of supporting communities through the pandemic and view the opportunity to promote vaccine participation as an extension of our ongoing work,” said Hilary Viola, Metro Boston ADRC Coordinator. “Boosters are a critical tool to help mitigate the risk of COVID transmission and serious illness.” 

The grant-funded campaign “Get Boosted Boston” includes direct mail, print advertisements, and online resources through a comprehensive website, GetBoostedBoston.org, all of which provide multiple options on how to make vaccine booster appointments. The information is available in multiple languages and provides links to find local appointments via Vaxfinder and pop-up mobile clinics online. If access to the internet is a problem, there is the phone alternative of calling 2-1-1, and if someone is unable to leave their home, they may call (833) 983-0485 to arrange an in-home booster.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs has praised the Metro Boston ADRC and their partners in helping older adults gain access to vaccines and boosters, stating that their efforts “propelled Massachusetts to be amongst the highest vaccinated states in the country.”

Now that almost 1.4 million adults aged 60 and above in the Commonwealth are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination booster, the Metro Boston ADRC’s work in promoting and facilitating access to COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses is vital to protect those they serve, as well as the overall population.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is a non-profit agency that supports the independence and well-being of older adults in Somerville and Cambridge. For free advice and guidance on questions of aging, caregiving or disability, contact our Aging Information Center at 617-628-2601, email info@eldercare.org, or visit our website eldercare.org.