You may not know this "fun" fact but August is Immunization Awareness Month! Yay for highlighting the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout our lives! I recently finished reading Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, which is all about tuberculosis--- a curable disease usually brought on by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease. I was surprised at the number of deaths each year from this disease despite there being a vaccine (effective for children) AND treatment. Let's be honest, I wasn't really surprised because right here in the United States there is a circus act working overtime to somehow erase what we all experienced in 2020 - a global pandemic that took many lives, showed us how ill-prepared we were for a pandemic, and also proved that with will (and funding) we can find solutions, like the COVID-19 vaccine.
gather here is fortunate to be based in Massachusetts where accessible healthcare is a priority. In 2025 Governor Maura Healey proclaimed August 3-9, 2025 Massachusetts Community Health Center (CHC) Week. National Health Center Week honors the timeless efforts CHCs make to public health, providing quality, comprehensive healthcare services to over 32.5 million patients at 16,000 sites across the country each year in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and US territories. In 2026, Governor Healey signed an Executive Order directing MassHealth to increase its investments in primary care to 12 percent of total medical spending by the end of 2028.
Health care is a human right. Community Health Centers serve millions of people, in Massachusetts over a million patients use CHCs to access health care. They are vital because they provide affordable care regardless of ability to pay, help lower overall healthcare costs, and improve local health equity. That is why the August WCW recipient is the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. "Promoting population health equity for all through leadership and programs supporting community health centers and members in achieving their goals of accessible, quality, comprehensive, and community-responsive health care."
Incoming Public Service Announcement:
Why Vaccinate?
- Prevents Disease: Vaccines protect against potentially life-threatening illnesses like measles, influenza, and pneumonia.
- Community Immunity: High vaccination rates help protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants and individuals with certain medical conditions.
- Safe and Effective: Vaccines undergo rigorous testing and continuous monitoring to ensure they are safe and effective.
For more info on vaccines visit mass.gov's vaccine information page.
*Since launching the We Care Wednesday initiative in January 2017 we have donated over $110K to a variety of nonprofits and mutual aid funds doing essential work in our community as well as other places. From the very local programs like Material Aid and Advocacy Program and EMA Fund to national programs like Habitat for Humanity. We select organizations that we feel represent not only our commitment to a better, more equitable world but also our desire to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.