Day 1 Of Chesco Vaccine Rollout Goes To EMS, Healthcare Workers

WEST CHESTER, PA — The Chester County Health Department today began vaccinating EMS providers and frontline healthcare personnel with the first shipment of 2,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The Chester County Health Department received its first delivery of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 23 and began "vaccinating the vaccinators," in a first-run of the distribution plan, said Chester County Health Department Director Jeanne Casner.

The Chester County Government Services Center on Westtown Road will serve as the "flagship" site for vaccinating the county, but distribution will use both in-place and mobile sites, much like the county's testing has worked, Casner said. Chester County's health department serves both Chester and Delaware counties.

Casner explained that with each new shipment and round of vaccinations, plans must also include the second round of the vaccine 21-28 days after the first. Vaccine availability will initially be limited, based on when the county is supplied by the state, Casner explained.

That is why the vaccine is being distributed in a phased approach, she said. As more vaccine becomes available, more groups can begin to receive them at the same time.

"The goal is for everyone to easily get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as large enough quantities are available," Casner said. She said that unfortunately, she cannot say when that will be.

The first arrivals at the county services center Tuesday were frontline healthcare and EMS workers, as well as 911 dispatchers and others not affiliated with hospitals or other healthcare systems. Hospital workers began receiving vaccinations last week.

Long-term care workers are not part of the county's 1-A round of vaccines because they are state employees, Casner explained. CVS Health and Walgreens are administering their vaccines, she said.

The county's next phase of workers, the 1-B phase, will include teachers, school staff, and bus drivers, Casner said. Also included in the 1-B phase are firefighters, grocery store workers, law enforcement, county administration staff, corrections staff, and childcare workers. The full list of who is part of what phase can be found here.

Casner reminded county residents, "The COVID-19 vaccine is not a cure for the virus. It is another tool in the fight against COVID-19." She emphasized that residents cannot relax other safety precautions because there is now a vaccine.

Chester County health officials encourage everyone to continue to wear a mask, wash or sanitize hands often and practice 6-foot distancing to help keep the virus from spreading.

The latest Chester County COVID-19 vaccination information is on the county’s COVID-19 webpages at www.chesco.org/coronavirus. This page also provides a link to the CDC's evidence table, on which the vaccination allocation is based.