Commonwealth vaccine eligibility, base travel policy updated

  • Published
  • By Lauren Russell
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The Commonwealth has expanded vaccine eligibility to persons included in Phases 1 and portions of Phase 2 of the Massachusetts vaccination plan.

Current eligible personnel include:

  • Phase 1 personnel
  • People aged 75 and older
  • People aged 65-74
  • Low income and affordable senior housing residents and staff
  • People with at least two co-morbidities listed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

“We highly recommend that anyone eligible to receive the vaccine through the state do so, as opposed to waiting to receive it through the installation,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Gough, 66th Medical Squadron public health emergency officer.

Gough said wherever personnel receive the vaccine, they should plan to receive both doses at the same location.

The Hanscom Crisis Action Team recently updated installation travel policy, stating all personnel arriving in the Commonwealth will comply with the Massachusetts travel order listed at www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order.

In making post-travel decisions, keep in mind that 14-day quarantine after possible exposure provides the best mitigation against spreading the virus in the workplace and to others in the community.  The installation commander recommends a 10-day quarantine be used in lieu of a negative COVID test.

“Personnel arriving at Hanscom who were vaccinated at a previous installation are still required to quarantine in accordance with Department of Defense policy,” said Gough.

For the most up-to-date COVID information at Hanscom, visit https://www.hanscom.af.mil/Coronavirus/.