Gov. Wolf Makes Big Vaccine Announcement: All Eligible Tuesday

PENNSYLVANIA — After months of wait-lines, delays, and frustrations, appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine will become available to the general public in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, officials announced. It moves up the timeline for that phase by six days, from April 19.

The shift was made due to the "ongoing appointment availability" in many parts of the state, even as 1B opened last week and 1C opened Monday. Gov. Wolf also cited the urgency of increasing vaccinations due to the fourth wave of the virus continuing across the state.

“We need to maintain acceleration of the vaccine rollout, especially as case counts and hospitalization rates have increased,” Gov. Wolf said in his announcement Monday. “Therefore, just as President Biden has brought forward universal adult access to vaccines from May 1 to April 19, we are moving Pennsylvania’s timeline of universal adult access to April 13.”

Authorities noted that with everyone eligible, it will simplify and speed up the vaccination as process, as providers will no longer need to check the eligibility of those making appointments.

The sudden expansion of eligibility comes after the state spent months in 1A category, with hundreds of thousands of the state's most vulnerable elderly residents waiting in line.

Pennsylvania has at least partially vaccinated 6,055,844 individuals, which is more than half the state's population.

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For full information about getting a coronavirus vaccine in Pennsylvania, visit Patch's information hub.