WESTERN MASS. – A regional group for a proposed vaccination site on The Big E fairgrounds has grown larger.

After the state of Massachusetts denied the initial proposal for a vaccination site due to an apparent lack of doses, West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt has officially sent out a new proposal to Marylou Sudders, the secretary for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Within this new proposal, Reichelt stated that Granville and Tolland have joined West Springfield, Agawam, Southwick, Westfield, the Hampden County House of Correction, and others, to help provide resources for this possible vaccination site at The Big-E. The hope is to “conveniently serve the needs of the residents of Western Massachusetts.”

Reichelt explained that The Big E would be the ideal place to host vaccination clinics due to its accessible location. “In addition to being more easily accessible to the hill towns by its proximity to state roads such as Route 20 and Route 57, a site at The Big-E would also be more easily accessible to residents of Springfield, who are currently underserved by the Eastfield Mall site,” Reichelt said in the letter.

Mayor William Sapelli of Agawam expressed similar sentiments when it came to discussing the problems with only hosting vaccination clinics at the Eastfield Mall.

“We want to assist as many people as we can,” said Sapelli. “For all of those poor people that have to go to the Eastfield Mall, that’s crazy … might as well drive to Worcester.”

By including as many communities in the greater Springfield area as possible, Sapelli believes that their request for the vaccination site will look stronger. He added that it takes an enormous amount of time for some people to drive all the way on the other side of Springfield to receive the vaccine. And with the added site, Sapelli said that they may get people from Springfield and Holyoke who want to receive their vaccines at The Big E.

“I think the purpose is to encourage people to get the vaccine,” said Sapelli. “But if you make it inconvenient for them, then they’re not going to go.”

In the letter sent to the secretary, Reichelt made it clear that a direct bus route to The Big-E would be available for residents on the north and south ends of Springfield, which Sapelli described as being a “very important” resource for the population that the regional group wants to attract. Reichelt also added that many residents in West Springfield would prefer to wait for a vaccine to be administered by a local group.

“The state is looking towards regional collaboration to get more access to doses to communities with less access to mass vaccination sites,” Reichelt told Reminder Publishing. “Our plan is to help bring the vaccine to communities to the west and improve access for all.”

With the support of additional communities, Reichelt and Sapelli both highlighted how the regional group would have the capacity to well exceed the minimum of 750 vaccinations per day that was set in the original letter sent out in mid-February.

According to Sapelli, each community involved will donate their paramedics, ambulances, and EMTs so they can help distribute and monitor everyone’s reaction to the vaccine 15 to 30 minutes after receiving it.

“That’s why it works so well,” said Sapelli, with regard to the proposed vaccination site. “We can easily do 750 [vaccines] a day for as many days as they have to have it done.”