Stateâs new COVID-19 eligibility rules open the flood gates for people to seek vaccinations People who are even a few pounds overweight or former smokers now eligible By Kay Lazar Globe Staff,Updated April 5, 2021, 1 hour ago Email to a Friend Dr. Ali S. Raja, executive vice chair of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, says any prior history of smoking â even just a few packs â carries a higher risk for complications from COVID-19Daniel Acker/Bloomberg New state eligibility rules for COVID-19 vaccinations effectively flung the doors wide open to the vast major...