As Massachusetts hits a major vaccine milestone this weekend, it is soon taking another step to further accelerate the statewide vaccination process.
Starting Monday, Natick Mall will open as the state’s newest mass vaccination site, joining four others already in use for residents eligible for their shot.
The Natick site, operated by LabCorp, plans to give about 500 doses of the vaccine per day. Ultimately, officials there hope to administer about 3,000 doses per day.
The site will begin administering 500 doses per day to begin with, with the goal of scaling up to 3,000 per day.
The Natick Mall joins Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, the DoubleTree in Danvers and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield as the massive vaccination centers have opened in the state so far. The former Circuit City in Dartmouth is scheduled to open on February 24.
People say a fifth mass vaccination site is a step in the right direction, but they say there are still not enough.
“I think we need more vaccination sites near Cape Cod because down there are a lot of older people who need vaccinations and the rest of the age group and they drive long distances to get the injection,” Benjamin Baker, of Raynham , said.
“I think it’s a great idea, especially because there are so many people who haven’t gotten it yet and with all this virus it’s better off having more sites,” said Tammi Stevens, also of Raynham.
The federal government blamed the winter weather and the staff shortage. In Framingham, Saturday’s coronavirus clinic was delayed for two weeks, before the state announced that more than 135,000 doses had arrived three days earlier than expected.
According to the state’s vaccine finder website, about half of the available appointments are for mass vaccinations right now.
The state hit a critical milestone Saturday, announcing that more than a million people have now received the first dose of the vaccine and that more than 370,000 have already had their second dose.
In total, nearly 1.4 million doses of the vaccine were administered in the Bay State.
The good news comes after a frustrating week of setbacks from the state’s vaccination process, including expected delayed shipping of vaccine doses due to inclement weather.
More than 100,000 doses arrived on Friday, three days earlier than feared, meaning appointments didn’t have to be canceled, Governor Charlie Baker’s government said.
“The government appreciates the efforts made to get this critical shipment here and does not expect additional delays from the federal government for the shipment of vaccines at this time,” said Kate Reilly, spokesman for the Command Center.
State and local leaders held a roundtable on Saturday to discuss racial differences with vaccine distribution in Massachusetts. Lawmakers say disadvantaged communities need all the resources they can get.
Baker had earlier this week suggested sending the National Guard south to pick up the delayed vaccine shipments.
The state’s vaccination sign-up website also crashed on Thursday shortly after opening for people 65 and older. Appointments for that age group fill up quickly.