Officials Book Vaccine Appointments, Confirm Chesco Was Shorted

WEST CHESTER, PA — County and state officials worked Saturday on scheduling registrants for COVID-19 in Chester County, after the county on Friday afternoon acknowledged that Chester and four other suburban Philly counties are getting far less vaccine than other places across Pennsylvania.

Chester County is the sixth most populous of the state's 67 counties, but it was 33rd on the list of vaccine doses delivered, county officials said Friday. Officials said they are working tirelessly to get vaccine doses, and meanwhile, they are setting up appointments to move the process forward.

All three Chester County Commissioners and a number of elected state officials joined Chester County Health Department staff and County employee volunteers in a phone bank Saturday, calling those in the county who are next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Armed with a list of names and phone numbers, the elected officials on Saturday called Chester County residents who qualify in Phase 1A, to offer them a vaccine appointment for the coming week. Present making calls were Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline, Senators Katie Muth, and Carolyn Comitta, and Representatives Tim Hennessey, John Lawrence, Christina Sappey, Danielle Friel-Otten, Dan Williams and Dianne Herrin, and staff from Senator John Kane’s office.

Based on the Health Department’s current Pfizer and Moderna vaccine inventory, 4,284 appointments had already been scheduled in the week of March 8, with 2,384 more booked over the weekend.

County Issues Statement Affirming Chesco Has Been Shorted On Vaccine

On Friday, the Chester County Health Department issued an update on the COVID-19 confirming reports that "the four suburban Philadelphia counties — some of the most populated in PA —have not been getting their fair share of the COVID-19 vaccine." Those counties are Chester, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery.

Chester County, as the sixth most-populated of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, was 33rd in ranking for the number of vaccine doses received, the county's statement reported.

"We point this out to the PA Department of Health, in a letter sent to the Acting Secretary on Feb. 10. We followed up in a meeting with Acting Secretary (Alison) Beam a few days later. We highlighted the inequality in doses received a number of times after that," the county's statement said.

Chester County Government reported on Friday afternoon that in the past week, Chester County received, in total, 10,750 vaccine doses. Of that number, 6,640 were sent to the Chester County Health Department.

The county said it is now making appointments and vaccinating those who registered on or before Jan. 15.

In total across Chester County, 43,765 people had received first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 33,273 had received second doses by all vaccine providers across Chester County, including hospitals and pharmacies, as of Friday.

The Chester County Health Department has administered 21,208 first doses of the 43,765 given in the county, and 12,207 of the 33,273 second doses of vaccine given so far.

School staff will begin receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine under a state program functioning through Pennsylvania's 28 Intermediate Units, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Chester County's Intermediate Unit will take the lead in vaccinating education staff here, county officials said.

Chester County reminds residents to register their interest in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine with the Chester County Health Department if they have not already done so. Information and registration links for Chester County’s COVID-19 vaccine program can be found at www.chesco.org/covidvaccine.

For any COVID-19 questions call 610-344-6225, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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