A tradução deste artigo se encontra no final da versão em inglês
As of April 19, everyone who is 16 years or older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States; the vaccines being administered are Moderna and Pfizer. You don’t need health insurance coverage to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The pandemic has exposed the social injustices of forcing many undocumented immigrants to work in high-exposure professions. They did not qualify for the stimulus checks under the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan Stimulus, or unemployment insurance assistance; thus, they have had to continue to work to provide for themselves and their families out of necessity in the U.S. and their home countries. Other than the food pantry distributions and eviction moratorium, undocumented immigrants in the United States did not receive much assistance. The situation with COVID in Brazil is presently one of the most challenging globally, and Brazilian Islanders have often been the most reliable assistance that their family members received.
The social justice we can practice now that everyone is eligible to receive a vaccine is to spread education about the vaccines, listen to people who are hesitant with kindness and share your own experiences as a way to promote awareness and confidence, assist in scheduling appointments, assist with taking folx to their appointments, whether at the M.V. Hospital or off-Island if you can. These steps will help protect our Island community and help end this pandemic on a very significant scale.
Here are some tips to secure a vaccine appointment:
Pre-register with the state. Head over to vaccinesignup.mass.gov/#/, and pre-register to get a shot at one of the seven state-run, large-capacity sites or six regional collaboratives.
You can help someone who is not proficient in English to pre-register, and they will receive communication about their future appointment, once they are pre-registered, in Portuguese via their chosen method of communication.
Pre-registered individuals will have 24 hours to book an appointment once they receive notification that an appointment slot has become available.
Check out the state’s vaccination site: maimmunizations.org/clinic/search, where you can choose to book your appointment in English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Portuguese. Thursdays tend to be the best days to secure an appointment, and attempt in the middle of the night or early mornings.
The same practices can be used when booking with a local pharmacy such as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Stop & Shop.
Lastly, another method that Brazilian Islanders have shared that they have used with success for assistance securing an appointment is sending an email to vaccinehelp01930@gmail.com with name, DOB, gender, address, email, cell phone number, and insurance provider (if any).
If you have any suggestions for methods of securing a vaccine appointment or you need assistance, please contact me at juliana@mvtimes.com.
