Boston Hosting Free Flu & COVID Vaccine Clinics
The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has partnered with the city and the Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) to host a series of free flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
Per Boston.gov, here are the following confirmed dates, times, and locations of these clinics:
- Thursday, October 24, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at City Hall Room 115
- Tuesday, October 29, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the BCYF Hyde Park Community Center
- Saturday, November 2, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the BCYF Mattahunt Community Center
- Monday, November 4, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the BCYF Paris Street Community Center
- Thursday, November 7, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the BCYF Curley Community Center
The city states that more dates and locations will be announced at a later date. Residents do not need an appointment for these clinics. Additionally, residents are encouraged to bring their health insurance cards, but neither those cards nor identification will be required.
Boston’s Commissioner of Public Heath Dr. Bisola Ojikutu said in a statement, “Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 and the flu. During the fall and winter months, we strongly recommend all Boston residents receive updated vaccines and stay home if they have symptoms of respiratory viral illness.”
For complete details on these clinics, including updates on additional clinic dates and locations, head over to Boston.gov/Respiratory-Protection.
Massachusetts Becomes First State With a Social Prescription Program
A first-ever social prescription program has launched in Massachusetts making it the first state in the country with one. But what exactly is a “social prescription program”?
Also known as social prescribing, NHS England describes a social prescription program as “an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing.”
This program is a partnership between Mass Cultural Council, the private organization Art Pharmacy and Mass General Brigham. As Mass Cultural Council executive director Michael Bobbitt told Boston.com, “The basic premise is that health care providers could prescribe arts activities to their patients to support their health care needs. You go to a doctor and the doctor diagnoses you and then writes your prescription that gives you and your family or you and your partner tickets to the museum, a class, or to the theater.”
As unusual as the practice might sound in the United States, a program like this is very common in other areas in the world. Art Pharmacy CEO Chris Appleton told Boston.com that social prescription programs have been around for decades and are often part of socialized national health care systems.
Arts and cultural activities have long been tied to positive effects on someone’s overall health. According to the World Health Organization, “Art can help us to emotionally navigate the journey of battling an illness or injury, to process difficult emotions in times of emergency and challenging events. The creation and enjoyment of the arts helps promote holistic wellness and can be a motivating factor in recovery.”
