An encouraging development about Covid vaccinations

To the members of the MIT community,

As the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues ramping up Covid-19 vaccinations, I write to share some encouraging news.

Last week, the Commonwealth approved MIT to serve as an employer-based distributor of the Covid-19 vaccine. This means that MIT will have permission to vaccinate the extended MIT community.

This broad group will include all faculty, staff, postdocs, students and affiliates, as well as dependents of our community members – regardless of where you usually get your healthcare. As a result, MIT could eventually be able to immunize as many as 50,000 individuals. (And given the amazing organization and efficiency of MIT Medical's legendary flu shot clinics, we will be in very good hands.)

You can read more here.

There is still a great deal we do not know about how this effort will unfold, exactly which community members we can vaccinate in the different phases of the Commonwealth’s program and on what timetable vaccines will arrive. What we do now know is that, as the state and national roll-out widens, MIT community members will have the option of getting vaccinated through MIT.

Note, however, that depending on your personal circumstances, this may not be your best or fastest choice. If you have another option for getting vaccinated sooner, by all means do not wait to receive your shot from MIT!

For now, our friends and colleagues at MIT Medical ask that you do not call or email them seeking a vaccine appointment. We will keep you updated on new developments as soon as possible, and you should look for another message next week, generated by Atlas, on how to pre-register for the vaccine drive and help MIT prepare for this enormous effort.

One day, we will be able to gather again together without thinking twice. But to get there, we must continue to pull together – keeping our distance, keeping our masks on and keeping each other safe – until every member of our community is protected from Covid-19.

With hope and gratitude,

L. Rafael Reif