Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative Holding Additional Vaccination Clinics

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems and the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative are holding additional community vaccination clinics to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Berkshires. 
 
A clinic will be held in Pittsfield on Saturday, Jan. 8, and a Williamstown clinic will be held on Friday, Jan. 14.
 
"The Omicron variant continues to spread across the state and nation, and the Berkshires has seen a dramatic rise in positivity," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "While Omicron is more transmissible than its predecessors, the best defense is still full vaccination, including the booster. Breakthrough cases are occurring in the community, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, initial vaccination doses and boosters have been shown to significantly lessen the severity of the illness in those cases, preventing hospitalization."
 
Pittsfield Clinic: Saturday, Jan. 8, 9 am to 2 pm, Berkshire Community College Patterson Field House: Open to anyone now eligible for vaccines and boosters. This includes adults, children 12 and older and the newest age group to be cleared for vaccination, those aged 5 to 11 years old. The clinic will offer Pfizer and Moderna vaccine and boosters for adults and first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 5-11.
 
Williamstown Clinic: Friday, Jan. 14, 8 am to 10 am, Williams College Field House, 82 Latham Street: This clinic is for those 12 and over, including adults and provides Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The hours may be extended depending on registration.
 
Pre-registration is required for both vaccine clinics. To register, visit www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org.
 
 

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   COVID-19,   vaccinations,   


More Coronavirus Updates

Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 news:


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

House Passes AI/Election Legislation

BOSTON — The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation on Wednesday to address election-related deceptive media and safeguard election integrity, one of which was filed by state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.  
 
H.5093, An Act to protect against election misinformation, filed by Farley-Bouvier, safeguards election integrity by prohibiting the distribution of AI-generated and materially deceptive election-related communications within 90 days of an election with the intent to disinform voters or defame candidates. 
 
These tactics have already been used to suppress voter turnout and damage candidates' reputations in elections across the country, she said. This bill ensures the Commonwealth's election laws keep pace with how emerging technologies can be intentionally used to threaten informed participation in our elections, while allowing for satire, parody, and legitimate news coverage.  
 
"The use of AI-generated deepfakes for the purposes of manipulating voters and disrupting elections is an attack on democracy," said Farley-Bouvier, House chair on the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. "As technology advances at a rapid pace, voters should not have to wade through maliciously altered or AI-generated content to get the facts about an election. The House is taking reasonable and timely steps to mitigate any possible negative outcomes and preserve election integrity."
 
H.5094,  Act enhancing disclosure requirements for synthetic media in political advertising, filed by state Rep. Brad Jones, requires that political candidates, PACs, political parties, and campaigns disclose when images or audio communications they paid for include material substantially generated or altered by AI.  
 
Both pieces of legislation now go to the Senate for consideration.  
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories