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Health Department awarded $30,000 grant for vaccine equity

Former Hopkinton public health nurse Kasey Mauro prepares a vaccine at the regional clinic in Westborough in 2021. PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

The Hopkinton Health Department is the new recipient of a grant that will help it deliver more equitable access to vaccines for residents.

The department was awarded a grant for vaccine equity from the MetroWest Health Foundation for $30,000 in December. It now has a year to implement a program and report on its progress.

“We put together a proposal to focus on seniors and either the uninsured or the underinsured that have difficulties accessing vaccines,” explained Health Director Shaun McAuliffe.

With the grant money, McAuliffe and other Health Department staff plan to hold late afternoon and evening clinics on Tuesdays. The available vaccines will target respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, pneumonia, influenza and more.

“The hope is that by improving the vaccination rates in town and in the region, we’ll lower the incidence of [respiratory] illness,” said McAuliffe.

This grant comes at a crucial time for the Health Department, which is facing budget reductions for fiscal year 2026. McAuliffe recently told the Independent that he may be forced to “cut our nursing and operating budget and reduce services.”

Grants like the one awarded by the MetroWest Health Foundation will allow the Health Department to continue providing preventative care for residents.

Latest News

During continued reviews of the School Department’s fiscal year 2026 budget, School Committee members stressed to the Select Board and Appropriation Committee Thursday night that “losing student-facing personnel is always the biggest concern” in budgetary discussions.

Hopkinton fire crews quickly brought a fire in the Legacy Farms neighborhood under control Thursday night. There were no injuries, but the house was deemed “uninhabitable,” according to Fire Chief Gary Daugherty.

This week’s Library Corner features information on holiday closures, an exam week study hall for Hopkinton High School students and a Red Cross blood drive.

Town meetings tonight include the Board of Library Trustees (7).

Photo of the Day

Meghan Grady has a step on a defender during the HHS girls basketball game against Medway on Friday. Click here for more photos.

PHOTO/WILLIAM DURFEE