Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence are among 20 communities in line to receive extra state help since they are said to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and historically underserved.
The Department of Public Health said Tuesday it will help the cities build awareness of vaccine safety and efficacy and reduce barriers to immunization.
The DPH plans to support tailored efforts based on each community’s needs and is offering supports including providing vaccine ambassadors to share information and materials, disseminating culturally appropriate vaccine information in multiple languages, hiring local residents for outreach efforts like door-knocking campaigns and coordinating groups including community health centers, local boards of health, and community and faith-based organizations.
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration also said it has invested $1 million in the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers to support centers’ efforts to address vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates for hard-hit individuals and communities.