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On Thursday, Governor Maura Healey announced that updated COVID shots would be available to all state residents ages 6 months and older. She also made Massachusetts the first state in the country to require that insurers cover vaccinations recommended by the state rather than those recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services. The move came in response to actions by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to limit COVID vaccines to those 65 and older or with underlying conditions, despite evidence that healthy adults, young children, and pregnant women can also benefit from the shots. But it was taking time for the new rules to filter down to individual providers.
“In Massachusetts, we will not let Donald Trump or Robert Kennedy get in the way of patients and the care and the treatments and the medication that they want and need,” Healey said Thursday. “No one in the great state of Massachusetts is going to be denied because of cost.”
Minj Lo, a floating pharmacist at the Target CVS, said everyone coming in to ask about vaccines had been confused.
“Everything changes every day,” he said.
Target did not respond to the Globe’s request for comment.
Typically, a panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, issues national guidance on COVID vaccines in June; insurers are mandated to cover the shots the panel recommends, and pharmacies and doctors’ offices place orders based on how many people the panel recommends should receive the shots. In addition, Massachusetts was one of 16 states, along with the District of Columbia, where local law required pharmacists to have clearance from the panel in order to administer vaccines. This year, the CDC has yet to issue any COVID vaccine guidance, which has sown confusion and delayed orders. Healey’s decision required pharmacies to break with the CDC panel and follow state guidance instead.
Amy Thibault, executive director of external affairs at CVS, said in a statement that the retailer is “adhering to the [state] order, and we are working to ensure that all of our Massachusetts pharmacy teams understand this.”
Vaccines were also beginning to arrive at area hospitals.
In a statement to the Globe Thursday, Mass General Brigham said, “The newly approved 2025–26 vaccine will be arriving to Mass General Brigham sites soon, and eligible patients will be able to access it through our practices as distribution continues. We also encourage eligible patients to get vaccinated at local pharmacies.”
Moderna, a biotech company based in Cambridge that developed one of the COVID vaccines, said in a statement to the Globe Monday that it was “business as usual” when it came to vaccine rollout and distribution. The Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID shots last month for the elderly and those at high risk for complications.
“After our updated COVID-19 vaccines were approved on August 27, we began shipping orders to providers, with the first shipment arriving at a local CVS on the 29 [of August]. Our roll-out is going as planned, with vaccines already available at providers and pharmacies across the country,” said Kelly Cunningham, associate director of communications for Moderna, in the statement.
More people are now able to get or sign up for the vaccine without a problem.
Daniel O’Donnell, a sophomore at Northeastern University, signed up for his flu shot on the CVS app and was pleasantly surprised to be offered the vaccine when he arrived at the Massachusetts Avenue CVS Sunday morning.
“They were like, ‘Oh, do you also want to get your COVID vaccine?’ and I was like, ‘Can I?’” said O’Donnell, who has Type 1 diabetes, one of the conditions that can make COVID more severe.
At a CVS in the Seaport, Caroline Mur, 73, of Fort Point, was picking up medication and asking about a COVID vaccine — her second this year. She tries to get two annually, but admitted she was “a bit worried” when she heard reports in the news that insurance might no longer cover them. After Healey announced insurers and pharmacies would be required to keep vaccines available and covered, Mur decided it was the right time.
As she walked away from the counter with her appointment set, Mur did a little happy dance.
“I believe in vaccines,” she said.
Alexa Coultoff can be reached at alexa.coultoff@globe.com. Follow her @alexacoultoff. Katarina Schmeiszer can be reached at katarina.schmeiszer@globe.com. Follow her on X at @katschmeiszer. Sadaf Tokhi can be reached at sadaf.tokhi@globe.com.
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
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A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
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Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
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