COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Beth Israel Lahey Health is offering COVID-19 vaccination clinics in our community. No insurance information is required. Learn about our clinic locations.
Mass. doctor on improving COVID-19 picture
Sharon Wright, MD, MPH of Beth Israel Lahey Health, discussed that while vaccination rates continue to increase in Massachusetts and across the U.S. and the number of new COVID cases and hospitalizations is declining, there is concern that transmission rates might increase as colder weather approaches. (WCVB, October 4, 2021)
Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Doses & Boosters
People at higher risk of developing COVID-19 may be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine additional dose. Find more information on 3rd doses and boosters, including eligibility information.
Single-shot COVID-19 vaccine generates robust immune responses against COVID-19 variants
Study led by Dan Barouch, Director of BIDMC's Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, and colleagues shows single-shot COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants identified in South Africa, the U.K., Brazil and California. (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, June 9, 2021)
BILH Digital Vaccination Cards
Digital vaccination cards are available to patients vaccinated at a BILH COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Find frequently asked questions on this proof of vaccination option.
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
If you were vaccinated at a BILH COVID-19 vaccine clinic you can request written confirmation of vaccination status or a digital vaccination card. Learn more.
Should passengers be vaccinated or tested to fly within the U.S.?
By the holiday season, flying will have changed dramatically for Americans returning to the United States from abroad. They will be asked to show proof that they are vaccinated, to commit to two coronavirus tests if they are not and to participate in a new contact tracing system. For Americans traveling within the United States, however, none of this applies. Lin Chen, MD of Mount Auburn Hospital noted that the risk of transmission increases when passengers fail to properly wear masks. (New York Times, October 11, 2021)
Flying during COVID-19 up in the air as the holiday season beckons
As winter approaches and the holiday season arrives, many are once again weighing the risks and benefits of flying during the pandemic. Mark Gendreau, MD of Beverly Hospital said the likelihood of an in-flight COVID-19 transmission is relatively low, although not completely zero. (KCBS Radio, October 11, 2021)
Mass. doc: It’s possible to do Halloween safely this year
Brian Hollenbeck, MD of New England Baptist Hospital answered questions about Halloween safety and encouraged families to continue to wear masks if they’re in a dense area. Hollenbeck also discussed new COVID treatments, vaccines, and long-haul COVID. (WCVB, October 11, 2021)
Mass. hospitals prepare to fire hundreds of employees who refuse COVID vaccine
Hospital leaders are racing to vaccinate as many workers as possible to avoid firing unvaccinated employees. At Beth Israel Lahey Health, 91 percent of the workforce has been vaccinated, but about 3,000 employees have yet to comply with the requirement to get inoculated by Oct. 31. Kevin Tabb, MD, CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health, said he expects most will get shots by the end of the month, but as many as a few hundred could lose their jobs. BILH is among the Massachusetts hospital systems developing contingency plans — including reshuffling staff and increasing hiring — in case it has to fire large numbers of employees. (Boston Globe, October 6, 2021)
Thank you note
Paulette Vantrease, a registered nurse in the Beverly Hospital emergency department, spoke about what it was like to help ensure dignity was maintained for COVID-19 patients, young and old, at the end of their life and used this as an opportunity to encourage people to get the vaccine. (Gloucester Daily Times, October 5, 2021)
‘The opioid epidemic hasn’t gone away’: The COVID overdose toll
The United States hit a record 93,000 opioid deaths in 2020, as a long-standing public health crisis collided with the isolation and multi-faceted stressors of the pandemic. Kevin Hill, MD and Ian Halim, MD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discussed how the stigma around addiction and mental health is still a problem in treating people with opioid abuse disorders. (GBH, October 5, 2021)