March 18, 2021 Secretary Marylou Sudders Executive Office of Health and Human Services 1 Ashburton Place Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Via email: Request to prioritize vaccine supply for Regional Collaboratives Dear Secretary Sudders, Thank you for your service to the Commonwealth and for your continued commitment to brief the Legislature. During the Legislature’s March 16 call with you, we discussed the vaccine supply relative to the Regional Collaboratives in our districts, each of which has the capacity to administer 750 vaccines per day — whether Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson — five days each week. We write now to ask you to prioritize vaccine supply to these Collaboratives. Regional Collaboratives are powered by local public health and public safety officials who have earned the trust of our communities. They are operating largely in easily accessible, well-known locations. They are the best suited to reach our constituents and those facing transportation challenges. They have prepared to scale their work to reach their maximum capacity. Our constituents and municipalities have expressed interest and, in many cases, a preference for these local, familiar sites. The MDPH “Emergency Dispensing Sites” report described local health departments similar to those that have since formed COVID-19 vaccine collaboratives as prepared and eager to participate in significant public health efforts such as what we currently face. However, weekly doses sent to Regional Collaboratives have varied widely, often resulting in delivery of significantly fewer vaccine doses to these settings — woefully underutilizing them in the statewide vaccination distribution effort. In turn, this has caused confusion, distrust, and disappointment at the local level. In comparison, the Commonwealth is simultaneously increasing its allotments to the seven current mass vaccination sites. Yet as we know, not every county has a mass vaccination site, and, not every Massachusetts resident has transportation access to these sites. Respectfully, as the Commonwealth charts a path forward through the rest of the phased vaccine plan, we urge you to increase distribution of vaccine supply to our municipal partners. They are eager, ready, accessible, steeped in a commitment to equity, and among the very best prepared to get this job done and to do so quickly and well. They are known and trusted in our communities and can more successfully address vaccine hesitancy when needed. Investing in local public health now will sustain us in this crisis moment and in the days and years ahead. Thank you for your consideration, Mindy Domb, State Representative Jo Comerford, State Senator 3rd Hampshire District Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District Christine Barber, State Representative John Barrett III, State Representative 34th Middlesex District 1st Berkshire District Natalie Blais, State Representative Daniel Carey, State Representative 1st Franklin District 2nd Hampshire District Tackey Chan, State Representative Mike Connolly, State Representative 2nd Norfolk District 26th Middlesex District Linda Dean Campbell, State Representative Marjorie Decker, State Representative 15th Essex District 25th Middlesex District Carol Doherty, State Representative Patricia Duffy, State Representative 3rd Bristol District 5th Hampden District Carolyn Dykema, State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, State Representative 8th Middlesex District 3rd Berkshire District Kimberly Ferguson, State Representative Dylan Fernandes, State Representative 1st Worcester District Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket District Tami Gouveia, State Representative Jim Hawkins, State Representative 14th Middlesex District 2nd Bristol District Vanna Howard, State Representative Hannah Kane, State Representative 17th Middlesex District 11th Worcester District Sally Kerans, State Representative Kay Khan, State Representative 13th Essex District 11th Middlesex District Meghan K. Kilcoyne, State Representative Kathleen LaNatra, State Representative 12th Worcester District 12th Plymouth District Jack Lewis, State Representative Paul Mark, State Representative 7th Middlesex District 2nd Berkshire District Christina Minicucci, State Representative Liz Miranda, State Representative 14th Essex District 5th Suffolk District Brian Murray, State Representative Tram Nguyen, State Representative 10th Worcester District 18th Essex District Jacob Oliveira, State Representative Steven Owens, State Representative 7th Hampden District 29th Middlesex District James O'Day, State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, State Representative 14th Worcester District 4th Berkshire District Lindsay Sabadosa, State Representative Dan Sena, State Representative 1st Hampshire District 37th Middlesex District Adam Scanlon, State Representative Steven Ultrino, State Representative 14th Bristol District 33rd Middlesex District Erika Uyterhoeven, State Representative Susannah Whipps, State Representative 27th Middlesex District 2nd Franklin District Jonathan D. Zlotnik, State Representative 2nd Worcester District Harriette Chandler, State Senator John Cronin, State Senator First Worcester District Worcester & Middlesex District Julian Cyr, State Senator Diana DiZoglio, State Senator Cape and Islands District First Essex District Jamie Eldridge, State Senator Anne Gobi, State Senator Middlesex and Worcester District Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex District Adam Gomez, State Senator Adam Hinds, State Senator Hampden District Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden District Eric Lesser, State Senator Susan Moran, State Senator First Hampden and Hampshire District Plymouth and Barnstable District Patrick O'Connor, State Senator Walter Timilty, State Senator Plymouth and Norfolk District Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District John Velis, State Senator Second Hampden and Hampshire District .