News  DTA and DPH Partner to Connect Families & Youth with Free COVID Vaccination Clinics

Boston — The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) has partnered with the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Vaccine Equity Initiative (VEI) to promote free COVID-19 family-friendly vaccination clinics available throughout the summer and early fall of 2022. The VEI works with the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 to increase awareness and acceptance of the vaccine, access to vaccination locations, and vaccine administration rates. To date, this communication has reached hundreds of thousands of children and families in communities disproportionately impacted by the hardships of the pandemic, supporting the Commonwealth’s goal to increase trust in the vaccine’s safety and efficacy and increasing vaccine access for priority populations.

In September, DTA sent a text message in six languages to over 450,000 households informing them of free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics and directing them to Mass.gov/kidsclinic. The text message led to 17,000 page views the day the message went out. Additionally, in August and September DTA notices mailed to 150,000 households with young children included a multilingual DPH flyer on local clinics and COVID-19 boosters. Both campaigns were effective tools to help keep residents informed, highlighting that residents do not need an ID or health insurance to get vaccinated and that the vaccine is free; gift cards are also available at many clinics.

These initiatives build on DTA’s efforts to use outreach and technology to share resources with residents that support their economic mobility and needs of the whole family, including:  

• Child Tax Credit: DTA worked with the Find Your Funds Campaign to send four text messages on the Child Tax Credit. The latest text message went out to over 500,000 households on October 11, 2022, with 2,547 tax returns on GetCTC.org since the text went out, bringing in approximately $6 million to Massachusetts households. GetCTC.org is new user and mobile friendly website designed to enable low-income households to simply file a tax return.
• ACP: DTA texted over 481,000 Households on how to check their eligibility and sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) through GetInternet.gov. This text message campaign successfully increased website traffic by 175% and led to the daily rate of enrollments doubling in the five days following the text.  
• LIHEAP: DTA partnered with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to share information on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), commonly known as fuel assistance. The text campaign successfully reached over 69,668 SNAP households with young children, leading to an 86% increase in applications among this population.

DPH is committed to increasing trust in the COVID vaccine’s safety and efficacy, identifying and reducing barriers to access, and increasing access for priority populations. As the updated booster becomes broadly available for more age groups this fall, the VEI will be working to reach children and families in communities hardest hit by COVID-19, and DTA will continue to support these efforts. Visit Mass.gov/GetBoosted for more information about free vaccine clinics in VEI communities this fall.