Second Community COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Clinic Scheduled

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative has scheduled another community COVID-19 vaccine clinic, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 8 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Berkshire Community College Patterson Field House. 
 
The clinic will provide Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, including first or second doses for those 5 to 11, Pfizer boosters for those 16 to 17, and first, second or booster doses to eligible adults. The booster helps to prevent contracting COVID-19 or prevents serious illness in those with breakthrough cases of the virus.
 
Pre-registration is required for this vaccine clinic and can be done by visiting www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org.
 
"The Omicron variant is now spreading rapidly across the state and country, and booster vaccination is the best tool to avoid infection, or if infected, to reduce the severity of the illness," said James Lederer, MD, Berkshire Health Systems Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines provide good protection against Omicron, and we hope those in our community who have not yet received a booster will register for this event or get a booster at other locations where available."
 
A clinic held on Dec. 18 at BCC saw close to 1,000 people vaccinated, and the January clinic is expected to continue that trend.
 
The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative is a partnership of Berkshire Health Systems, the Berkshire County Boards of Health Association and Community Health Programs, and successfully vaccinated tens of thousands of Berkshire residents throughout early to mid-2021.
 
For more information on the BCC clinic, visit www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org.

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


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EPA, GE Conducting Vernal Pool Study on Housatonic River

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A pilot study will determine the best way to remediate PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from vernal pools in the Housatonic River. 

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric held an open house for the Vernal Pool Pilot Study on Reach 5A, a five-mile stretch between the river's confluence and Lenox border.  Despite the rain, several people attended the event at the Berkshire Athenaeum. 

EPA project manager Josh Fontaine explained that it is an evaluation of which remediation method to use for the remaining vernal pools in Reach 5A. 

"We're going to be testing two different methods. One is an excavation method, which we already know has been very successful with another vernal pool cleaned up much earlier in the project," he said. 

"And then the other is the application of two different carbon amendments. It would be the application of powdered activated carbon and the application of granulated activated carbon." 

Ten vernal pools will be cleaned using these methods: five with excavation and five with active carbon; seven additional vernal pools will be monitored as controls. Construction will be complete around October, but the pools will be left to their natural processes and monitored with surveys and sampling for three years. 

Fontaine said there is no frontrunner for methodology. 

"We know the excavation method is effective, but we would like to see if the less invasive method of using the amendment will be as effective for potential use," he said. 

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