BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $3.5 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of providing vaccinations to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The $3,494,771 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the cost of contracting to operate a statewide network of mobile vaccination sites between June and December 2022.

 

The contractor operated at 285 locations around the state and provided 73,455 vaccinations to individuals who met certain eligibility criteria. Services provided included screening patients, administering the vaccine, vaccine storage compliance, documenting procedures, and personal protective equipment protocol compliance.

 

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery.”

 

FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

 

So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.6 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.