Vaccine administration at region’s largest stadium begins with priority recipients and first responders and will expand to thousands daily
Cambridge, Mass./Foxborough, Mass. – January 12, 2021—Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced today that Gillette Stadium will be the Commonwealth’s first large-scale vaccination site, operated by CIC Health. The State selected CIC Health — a Cambridge-based health tech company — to help manage vaccine administration, initially for first responders and healthcare workers and, later, for other priority populations per the State’s phased timeline.
“Mass vaccination sites will play a critical role in distributing COVID vaccines as safely and quickly as possible,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are grateful to the Kraft family and everyone who worked with our Administration to quickly set up the mass vaccination site at Gillette Stadium, which will ramp up to vaccinate up to 5,000 people per day.”
The opening of this site marks the onset of an extensive campaign to streamline and expedite vaccinations in Massachusetts. CIC Health is one of the largest facilitators of COVID-19 testing in New England, known for easy online scheduling, no lines, and quick turnaround. A similar approach will be utilized for vaccinations at Gillette Stadium, proud home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution.
“We are excited to apply the lessons learned in testing to the vaccine rollout process,” said Tim Rowe, founder and CEO of CIC Health. “Testing and vaccination go hand-in-hand in the battle to minimize virus spread. Together, they provide us solid footing on the road to recovery. We are honored to collaborate with the Commonwealth, Gillette Stadium, Mass General Brigham, and our healthcare delivery partners to administer vaccines to thousands of Massachusetts residents.”
Gillette Stadium is the first sports and entertainment venue in the northeast to open for mass vaccinations and is the third NFL stadium in the country to do so.
“Gillette Stadium is accustomed to accommodating large audiences and we are honored to provide a safe location to expedite the vaccination of first responders, and to soon expand to residents throughout the Commonwealth,” said Jim Nolan, COO at Gillette Stadium. “As we have done throughout the pandemic, Gillette Stadium and the entire Kraft Sports + Entertainment organization stand ready to assist Governor Baker and the Commonwealth in any way we can. We are proud to do our part and grateful to the incredible team of people whose championship-caliber efforts will help save lives and defend against the spread of this virus.”
CIC Health has contracted Fallon Ambulance — a long-time medical service provider at Gillette Stadium — to support preparation and administration of the vaccines; Mass General Brigham to provide medical oversight; DMSE Sports, the event management company which oversees the Boston Marathon, for on-site vaccine operations and logistics management; and PWN Health, the national clinician network, for remote customer support.
Administration of the vaccine at Gillette Stadium will start with Moderna and begin with a soft launch on Thursday, January 14, followed by the official launch on Monday, January 18 for first responders and healthcare workers. The site will follow Phase 1 of the State’s vaccine distribution timeline and will open with capacity for 300 vaccinations per day, ramping up to administering up to 5,000 per day over time. The site will adhere to all vaccination protocols established by the Center for Disease Control and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Eligible vaccine recipients can schedule appointments at cic-health.com/vaccines beginning Thursday, January 14.
About CIC Health
CIC Health offers comprehensive COVID-19 testing and vaccination services that are accessible, fast, and easy. We collaborate with private and public entities like CLIA-certified labs, physician networks, healthcare institutions, and state and municipal governments. CIC Health is a Tech Top 50 Company in Massachusetts and a subsidiary of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), a global leader in building innovation communities. Learn more at cic-health.com and follow on Twitter @CIC_Health and on Instagram @cichealth.
About Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium, located in Foxborough, Mass., is New England’s premier sports and entertainment venue. The 65,878-seat stadium is the full-time home of the NFL’s six-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. It is also one of the world’s top-grossing concert venues, according to Billboard and Pollstar. Other notable sporting events held at Gillette Stadium have included the 2016 NHL Winter Classic, international soccer matches, NCAA athletics, professional lacrosse, motor sports and the Massachusetts high school football state championships. For more information, visit www.GilletteStadium.com or follow @GilletteStadium on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook