Bucks Co. To Contact Partially Vaccinated For Second COVID Shots

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County officials say they plan to reach out to as many as 60,000 residents who only received one shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to protect themselves against COVID-19.

Residents who have not returned for their second shot will be contacted through emails, text messages and phone calls, officials said.

The vaccinations are more effective if both doses are administered, even if the first shot was months ago, according to County Health Department Director David Damsker.

“Getting a second dose has been shown to be highly successful against all strains of COVID,” Damsker said. “If you’ve only gotten one shot of Pfizer or Moderna, it’s never too late to finish the series. It’s possible the extra time could even make the second dose more effective.”

Nearly 4 in 5 adults in Bucks County has received their first dose of vaccine, but the percentage of fully vaccinated adults stands at just 65 percent. More than 59,000 partially vaccinated Bucks County residents are eligible for second doses of vaccine but may not have not received them, the Bucks County Health Department reported.

“We still need to bring them back and get them vaccinated…,” said Bucks County Chief Operating Officer Margaret McKevitt. “COVID’s not over yet; we still have vaccinations to do.”

With the pace of vaccinations slowing, the county on July 3 closed mass clinics at the Perkasie and Newtown campuses of Bucks County Community College, which had opened in February. Clinics at the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem and Warwick Square in Jamison remain open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Under the abbreviated schedule, fewer than 100 shots are being administered daily at the two sites. At their peak in April and May, the county-operated clinics sometimes gave more than 3,000 doses per day.

Three pop-up vaccine clinics will be offered this week:

• 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 13 – Daybreak Treatment Center, 1288 Veterans Highway, Levittown
• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 13 – Springtown Fire Company, 3010 Route 212, Springtown
• 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, July 14 – Christ’s Home, 1 Shepherd’s Way, Warminster

McKevitt said she expects the pace to pick up again as fall approaches, with college students and younger children seeking vaccinations before schools reopen. The county’s clinics have administered more than 161,000 doses to date.

Bucks County’s rate of new COVID infections continues to be at a very low level.

The county averaged 11 new cases per day last week, and no deaths in July have been attributed to COVID. Eleven COVID-infected patients are hospitalized in Bucks, one of whom is on a ventilator.

For a full list of county providers and locations where COVID vaccines are being offered, you can check Bucks County’s Coronavirus Testing/Vaccination Information page.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe