Wilmington Health Department 'Patiently Awaiting The Vaccine'

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington will be "lucky" to get 100 vaccine doses per week, despite requesting 1,500, Health Director Shelly Newhouse told the Board of Selectmen Monday.

The state does not have enough doses to allocate everything that towns are requesting ahead of eligibility expanding to those over 75 next week.

"Everyone's in the same boat," Newhouse said. "I'm not hiding it. I'm not hoarding it. I just don't have it."

The town is still wrapping up phase one vaccinations, including people in congregate care, home-based health care and non-coronavirus-facing health care," Newhouse said.

But as soon as the vaccine doses are available, the town will be ready to set up clinics, the health director said. She has plenty of volunteers available and even has the registration link ready for appointments, though she cannot publish it yet. The Senior Center will help people who don't have a computer or who aren't tech-savvy register.

The town's vaccine clinics will be at Shriners Auditorium on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings with registration first-come, first-served.

"We'll add more times and more days as we get more vaccine," Newhouse said.

The town's website will be updated regularly with any additional information on the vaccine.

Registration opened statewide Wednesday for those 75 and up to be vaccinated beginning Monday, including at the mass vaccination site in Danvers. All appointments at the Danvers site have already been filled.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.