December 28, 2020 - Cardinal Receives COVID-19 Vaccine; Urges Public to be Vaccinated

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley received the first of the two dose protocol of the Moderna vaccine approved for COVID-19. The Cardinal received the dose on December 24, 2020 at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, MA. The second dose is scheduled to be administered in late January 2021 at St. Elizabeth's. Cardinal Seán, who is 76 years old, hopes to demonstrate that the vaccine is safe and wishes to encourage people to be vaccinated when possible.

The vaccine is approved for Catholics to receive. For more information please click here.

Cardinal's statement:
“I am very grateful to Dr. Joseph Weinstein, Chief Physician Executive of the Steward Health Care Network who, noting that I qualified for the COVID vaccine, very kindly offered to facilitate my inoculation at St. Elizabeth’s. With recognition of the importance that all persons be vaccinated when possible I was very happy to receive this invitation. Mr. James Terwilliger, President of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, one of the Steward Health Care hospitals in the Archdiocese and Chaplain Elizabeth Goeke, Director of Spiritual Care, welcomed me to St. Elizabeth’s, where highly skilled nurses and medical personnel are directing and overseeing the vaccination process.  I am grateful to have been in line for the vaccine and encourage all people to be vaccinated as the opportunity is presented, as an important action of care and concern for our loved ones, our communities and our nation. With the help of God and the excellent medical care provided at St. Elizabeth’s and many other hospitals, we will make our way through and beyond the pandemic.”