Massachusetts' COVID-19 vaccination phases

Below are the details of Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. The plan includes three phases, which reflect several priorities: protecting our most vulnerable, maintaining health care system capacity, and addressing inequities in health care access and COVID-19 burden. 

If your group is not specifically listed in either Phase 1 or Phase 2, you will be eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 3.

Learn more about the groups in each phase of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution timeline.

Steps to get your vaccination

Step 1: Check your eligibility below or use our tool

Step 2: Preregister for a mass vaccination or regional collaborative location, or find a location and schedule your appointment

There are different ways to find a vaccine appointment:

• Preregister at VaccineSignUp.mass.gov to be notified when it's your turn to schedule an appointment at a mass vaccination or regional collaborative location
• Use VaxFinder.mass.gov to search for appointments at pharmacies, health care providers, and other community locations

Massachusetts’ preregistration system makes it easier to request and schedule an appointment. People can preregister for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at mass vaccination locations and certain regional collaborative locations only. More locations will continue to be added.

Once you sign up for preregistration, you’ll receive weekly status updates. You can opt out at any time if you find an appointment elsewhere. Once an appointment is available, you’ll be contacted with the opportunity to book the appointment and have 24 hours to accept it.

Massachusetts receives a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government each week. Due to high demand and very limited supply, it may take several weeks to schedule an appointment or to be notified that an appointment is available.

Preregister for a vaccine appointment  Use VaxFinder to book at other locations  Learn more about preregistration 

Step 3: Prepare for your appointment

Phase 1

(December 2020 – February 2021)

Listed in order of priority:

• Clinical and non-clinical health care workers doing direct and COVID-facing care
• Long term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities
• First responders 
• Congregate care settings
• Home-based health care workers
• Health care workers doing non-COVID-facing care

Phase 2

Currently Eligible:

• People who are 75 or older
• People who are 55 or older
• People with 1 or more certain medical conditions
• People who live or work in low income and affordable senior housing
• K-12 educators, K-12 school staff, and child care workers
• Certain workers

Phase 3

Eligible April 19, 2021:

If your group is not specifically listed in either Phase 1 or Phase 2, you will be eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 3, which will launch April 19, 2021.