Malden legislative delegation secures $400K to address vaccine equity efforts

  State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Steven Ultrino, Paul Donato and Kate Lipper-Garabedian recently announced that Cambridge Health Alliance’s Malden Care Center has received $400,000 through the Department of Public Health to address vaccine hesitancy, as part of the Commonwealth’s Vaccine Equity Initiative.Cambridge Health Alliance will use the funds to support its ongoing efforts to increase awareness and access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

  “Especially as the number of positive cases and filled hospital beds remain high, the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be one of the strongest tools available in our fight to address the pandemic,” said Lewis. “I’m very pleased and thankful that Cambridge Health Alliance is receiving this support from the state as they continue to ensure equitable access to shots and boosters for communities like Malden, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”

  “The grant for Malden Care Center as part of the state’s vaccine equity initiative comes at a critical time as we continuously work towards ending the pandemic and making sure our community is stronger and safer than ever before,” said Donato.

  “As I continually encourage those who are medically eligible to get vaccinated, I recognize that there are disproportionate barriers to access for certain communities,” said Lipper-Garabedian. “Given this, I am pleased to see that these grant funds will aid the residents of Malden in overcoming barriers and keep them as healthy as possible.”

  “We are thrilled to partner with the Mass. Department of Public Health and the city of Malden to continue ongoing efforts to improve community health and wellbeing by helping to address the immediate and long-term health equity needs in communities hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cambridge Health Alliance’s CEO, Dr. Assaad Sayah.

  According to Mass.gov, “The Vaccine Equity Initiative works with the populations and communities hardest hit by COVID-19 to increase awareness and acceptance of the vaccine, access to vaccination locations, and vaccine administration rates. This approach is driven by community needs and is centered on equity, a core pillar of the state’s vaccine distribution plan…”