Revere public health announces homebound vaccine visits for flu, COVID and pneumonia

Lauren Buck, director of public health and chief of health and human services for the City of Revere, told the Commission on Disabilities on Oct. 14 that the public health department will conduct in-home vaccinations for residents who cannot easily leave their homes.

Buck said the program — run by the department's three nurses, including herself — offers the seasonal flu vaccine (including the high-dose flu vaccine for people 65 and older), COVID-19 vaccines for eligible people and a pneumonia vaccine option described in the meeting as “pneumonia 21.” She said staff will register homebound residents and their caregivers, schedule a date and time, and make the home visit to deliver vaccines.

The program is intended to reduce barriers for people who are homebound or who have difficulty getting to a clinic. “We recognize that it might be very hard for some of our residents here in Revere to leave their home to get the recommended fall respiratory vaccines,” Buck said. She gave the department phone number as (781) 485-8486 and said residents may also call Revere 311 to be connected to the public health department.

Buck answered questions about eligibility and availability. She said COVID vaccines were available to people 12 and older under Massachusetts guidance and that the program expects to serve people under those statewide eligibility rules. On capacity, Buck said there was no backlog and that roughly 50 people were on the homebound list; the three nurses were expected to complete those visits during the last two weeks of October.

Commission members also asked about other vaccines. Buck said the department does not have shingles or RSV vaccines this year and intends to expand offerings over time. She noted that pharmacies and primary-care providers remain alternative locations for those vaccines.

Buck also said the department uses its homebound list to identify recipients for a meal-delivery effort tied to the annual Thanksgiving turkey dinner event hosted in Revere; last year the department delivered two premade meals to each homebound recipient the same night as the community dinner and plans to offer that again. Residents seeking either service were directed to call (781) 485-8486 or 311.

Ending: Buck asked commission members to refer residents who might be homebound or hesitant to call the department; she said staff can accept referrals and reach out to people when a caller provides a name and phone number.