State Sen. Diana DiZoglio wants answers to questions about the state’s troubled COVID-19 vaccine rollout and is prepared to ask the state auditor to investigate if necessary.
DiZoglio said one question is how certain vendors were selected to help distribute the vaccine. She said she wants answers from Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration or will push state Auditor Suzanne M. Bump to conduct an audit. In a letter last week to Bump, DiZoglio said she has heard concerns from residents around transparency and accountability in the rollout process.
DiZoglio said her office asked the state Department of Public Health whether the state formally solicited proposals, but was told that “since vaccination distribution is a federal process, (the state does) not have a role in that.”
“All of the vendors appear to be private companies. The public deserves to know the administration’s rationale for selecting these vendors and how much taxpayer money is going to these companies,” she said. Further, DiZoglio said the public should know why certain pharmacies and sites were chosen over others for vaccine distribution and how much money are they receiving.
DiZoglio’s effort comes in advance of this Thursday’s first oversight hearing of the legislature’s Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management.