The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) has vaccinated more than 2,500 community members at its weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The health and social services organization has partnered with Health Innovations, Inc and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) since June of 2021 to bring COVID-19 vaccines and reliable resources and information to the community.

The weekly clinics promoted at MAPS offices and other key community locations such as churches, community centers, and social clubs, aim to promote health equity by reaching underserved community members facing barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccination.

“We are proud of our team for having succeeded in bringing essential COVID-19 vaccines to thousands of community members in areas where they are still not easily available”, said MAPS Chief Program Officer (CPO) Alirio Pereira, MA. “We are grateful for this partnership with the Massachusetts DPH which allows us to further our mission of building healthy communities.”

MAPS offers Moderna first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines and the bivalent booster shots. The new booster protects against the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variants. Vaccination is available for community members 18 years old and older, and appointments are not required. $75 gift cards are available for those receiving their shot at the MAPS vaccination clinics in February. From March on, community members will receive $25 gift cards.

The next MAPS COVID-19 vaccination clinic is taking place on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at the MAPS Framingham office (24 Union Ave, suites 8 & 10) from 1 pm to 5 pm. On Tuesday, February 21, the clinic will take place at the Portuguese American Club in Lowell (59 Charles St) from 2 pm to 6 pm. On Saturday, February 25, the clinic will return to the MAPS Framingham office (24 Union Ave, suites 8 & 10) from 1 pm to 5 pm. To access the full schedule of the MAPS vaccination clinics, please visit maps-inc.org/community-calendar.

In addition to vaccinating thousands in the community, MAPS also created a free COVID-19 Hotline (888-509-7788) where community members can call to schedule their vaccines and get information and resources related to the pandemic. For more information, please access maps-inc.org/coronavirus.

MAPS has served the Portuguese-speaking communities of Massachusetts and others since 1970. The organization offers free health and social services through its six offices in Cambridge, Somerville, Brighton, Dorchester, Framingham, and Lowell. To learn more about MAPS, please visit maps-inc.org.