Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe announced at Monday evening’s Board of Health meeting that the department is scaling back its services because two per diem nurses had to take furloughs when it was discovered that their positions weren’t funded, creating a...
Health Department
Narcan training rescheduled to Thursday
The Hopkinton Health Department announced that a Narcan administration training session will be held Thursday (Feb. 15) from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Hopkinton Public Library. It originally was scheduled for Tuesday but was canceled due to the snowstorm that forced the...
Board of Health not amenable to developer’s request to waive water testing requirement
A developer's request to the Board of Health for a waiver of the potable water testing requirement for a Box Mill Road property could set a precedent if approved by the town, members cautioned before unanimously voting down the request at Monday's meeting. In a...
Board of Health discusses plastic bag usage, vaccine vendor partnership
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday night heard a resident’s concerns about plastic bag usage at local stores as well as details about a partnership with a multistate vaccine vendor that is expected to save the department money. Sustainable Green Committee...
Student initiative leads to food allergen awareness campaign at school playgrounds
What started as a fourth-grade school project for Reese Robledo more than five years ago has blossomed into a public awareness signage campaign at school playgrounds about the dangers of exposure to food allergens. For Robledo, exposure to even the smallest particles...
Updated COVID-19 vaccine available from Health Department Thursday
A limited supply of the updated Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine will be available Thursday from the Hopkinton Health Department. A VCF flu/COVID clinic is scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 9) from 3-5 p.m. in the lower level of Town Hall. This vaccine formula, designed...
Board of Health approves new town biosafety regulation
The Board of Health at a 20-minute meeting Monday evening approved the town's new biosafety regulation 2-0 in an effort to safeguard the public and monitor the use of all biological agents in town. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe explained that the...
Lack of state PFAS guidance frustrates Health Department, residents
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening discussed the lack of state guidance on PFAS levels and Hopkinton’s leading role in its regional health collaborative structure. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe told board members that no state guidance from...
Health Department surveys residents on vaccines
The Hopkinton Health Department has started a survey to gauge the interest of residents in receiving the RSV, updated COVID and/or shingles vaccines. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. It’s a contagious virus that causes respiratory disease. The survey asks...
Resident tip leads to cease-and-desist letters to illegal food operations in town
Health Director Shaun McAuliffe told the Board of Health at its meeting Wednesday that an email he received led to his investigation that uncovered five illegal food operations in town. “We had received a complaint about a food service establishment that was operating...
Health Department to offer drive-through flu vaccine clinics in October
The Hopkinton Health Department announced two drive-through flu clinics in October. The first is for older adults. It will be held Friday, Oct. 13, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center (28 Mayhew Street). Nursing staff from the Health Department will be at the...
Water quality at Sandy Beach remains safe, testing shows
While the upper and main beaches at Hopkinton State Park remain closed due to high bacteria counts, the water quality at Sandy Beach remains safe for swimming and boating, providing an oasis for Hopkinton residents during the weekend’s scorching temperatures. On...
Health Department seeks participants for survey related to health impacts of long COVID
The Hopkinton Health Department is sponsoring a Massachusetts Department of Public Health intern who is researching the health impacts of long COVID, and as part of her research, the intern is conducting an online survey that residents are invited to fill out....
Health Department hosts COVID booster clinics in March
The Hopkinton Health Department announced it will host COVID booster clinics every Tuesday in March. The Moderna bivalent vaccine is available for ages 6 and older. The clinics will be held in the lower level of Town Hall (18 Main Street) on the following dates: March...
Health Department continues vaccine clinics, monitors norovirus
The Board of Health at a brief meeting Monday night discussed the Health Department’s recent initiatives. Public Health Nurse Simone Carter described the Health Department as “quietly busy.” She said that the number of reported respiratory virus cases, including...
Health Department hosts COVID vaccine clinics in February
The Hopkinton Health Department will host three COVID vaccine clinics in February, The clinics will be held on Feb. 7, 14 and 28 (all Tuesdays) from 4-6 p.m. at Town Hall. These clinics are for ages 6 and older and feature the Moderna bivalent booster. There is no...
Health Department works to prevent opioid overdoses via naloxone program
At the Board of Health’s one-hour meeting Monday evening, Public Health Nurse Simone Carter announced that the state designated the Hopkinton Health Department as a Community Naloxone Purchasing Program affiliate, allowing it to distribute the medicine used to rapidly...
As COVID surges, Health Department offers free test kits
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening discussed the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus and announced that the Health Department has an abundance of test kits to issue to residents who need them. Public Health Nurse Simone Carter said that “there has been...
Limited number of flu vaccines available for Tuesday clinic
The Hopkinton Health Department has eight state-supplied flu vaccines available (six shots and two mists for inhaling). These vaccines are designated for children (18 and younger) or uninsured persons — as per state requirements. Individuals wishing to obtain the...
Health Department hosts COVID vaccine clinics throughout November
The Hopkinton Health Department announced a series of COVID vaccine clinics in November. All clinics will be held at the Public Health Nurse's Office in Town Hall. The clinics, for ages 6 and older and using the Moderna bivalent booster, are scheduled on the following...