PA Vaccine Updates: New Timelines Set For 1A, Frontline Workers

PENNSYVLANIA — The past week marked a series of milestones in Pennsylvania's ongoing vaccination efforts, as an updated timeline could see the vaccine available to the general public in a matter of just a few months.

There were also developments in the state's efforts to vaccinate teachers, and expand the rollout of clinics statewide as more doses arrive.

Here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 immunization plan:

Timeline accelerated, with key dates in March and May

The state believes they can meet President Biden's recently announced goal that would make everyone in the state eligible to receive a vaccine by May 1.

As part of that plan, the Department of Health will issue an order Friday mandating that providers must schedule appointments for the entire 1A priority category — which includes everyone 65 and older — by March 28. MORE.

Suburban slight: dispute between southeast and state continues

Southeastern counties did not receive an increased allocation of doses this week after a meeting with the state Department of Health on Sunday, during which they hoped to gain transparency from the state on the algorithm used to determine allocations.

Bucks County officials said that Acting Secretary of Health of Alison Beam disputed the idea that southeastern Pennsylvania had been treated unfairly. In Montgomery County, leaders said they were told by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that the county was being vaccinated at the same rate as other counties across the state; local officials say this does not account for vulnerable populations who cannot travel, or seniors.

All of the Philadelphia collar counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery — have administered similar or fewer doses per 100,000 residents than some of the state's most rural counties. Those four counties represent four of the seven most populous counties in the state, meaning that a disproportionately large percentage of the local population is not being vaccinated compared to other parts of the state. Similar statistics addressing total allocations per county were first released in a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer on Feb. 27. Allocations are even more lopsided in favor of many rural counties, with Montour, Mifflin, Mercer, and Elk ranking in the top four of allocations per 100,000, the Inquirer states.

During the "disappointing and frustrating" meeting, Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said leaders from Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks counties were shown a graph that was supposed to demonstrate how allocations were made, but the graph was difficult to interpret. "I don't really know that I can adequately describe it," Arkoosh said.

"It was as clear as mud," Commissioner Ken Lawrence added. MORE.

School vaccination program gets underway

Some 6,500 teachers had been vaccinated as of Friday with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The state opened 10 more intermediate unit vaccination clinics on Friday, bringing the total number of sites operational up to 20. The remaining eight are expected to open on Saturday.

As of Friday, there have been 240,000 respondents to those surveys just from within the K-12 school employee population. Childcare workers are being registered separately through Rite Aid, Topco, and Walmart, and those registration numbers were not immediately available Friday.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is getting a lot brighter," Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said. MORE.

Take a look inside the Bucks County Intermediate Unit vaccination clinic for teachers here.

Frontline workers next up

Once the state completes its vaccination of school employees, expected by the end of March, it will designate much of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply for many 1B individuals.

That includes police, firefighters, grocery store workers, and other essential frontline workers.

Because it's a single-dose vaccine, Johnson & Johnson makes vaccinating these populations easier.

"This allows us to use the flexibility of this vaccine in a very targeted way," Gov. Wolf said. "This allows folks to get back into the workplace, get back into schools faster." MORE.

Vaccine could allow nursing home visits

Pennsylvania health officials on Friday urged nursing homes in the state to update their coronavirus visitation policies to allow in-person visits. Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam and other Wolf administration officials highlighted updated nursing home visitation guidance issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MORE.

CVS expansion of administration sites continues

Ten additional CVS Pharmacy locations in Pennsylvania will be giving the vaccine. Appointments for the latest allocation of doses will begin to become available for booking on Saturday, March 13, as stores receive shipments of the vaccine. MORE.

Vaccine does not mean mask mandates will be lifted

As some states around the country announce the easing of masking requirements, Pennsylvania has no plans to follow in their path anytime soon.

Texas and Mississippi drew national attention last week when they said they would no longer require masks to be worn in public places. Both states also relaxed several other coronavirus mitigation measures. President Joe Biden called it "neanderthal thinking," and Gov. Tom Wolf said that the state will stay the course will its current mask requirements. MORE.

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