In this July 27, 2020 photo, nurse Kathe Olmstead gives volunteer Melissa Harting, of Harpersville, New York, an injection in Binghamton, New York, during a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc.
AP file photo
Pennsylvania will soon announce plans for the second phase of COVID-19 vaccinations covering those 75 and older and many essential workers, state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday.
Known as “1B,” this phase includes vaccinations for law enforcement, fire/rescue and emergency services personnel, corrections officers, clergy and workers in public transit, grocery stores, education, manufacturing, the U.S. Postal Service and childcare and congregate-care facilities that were not part of the still-ongoing initial 1A phase.
“We know that there is significant interest among all Pennsylvanians about when they will be vaccinated. We are working to ensure that everyone who wants access to a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get it,” Levine said during a briefing.
Levine said she expects to launch 1B before everyone in 1A is vaccinated but did not provide a more specific time frame other than repeatedly saying “soon.”
In addition to nursing home residents and workers, a range of health care personnel are in 1A, including dentists and dental hygienists, chiropractors, therapists, pharmacists and those potentially exposed to infectious material from health care personnel and patients.
Approximately 1 million health care workers and nursing home residents and staff are in the first phase statewide, Levine said.
The vaccination pace hinges largely on the quantity of vaccines supplied by the federal government, Levine reiterated.
Levine has expressed frustration over the federal government’s initial messages setting “unrealistic expectations” of the number who would be vaccinated by the end of 2020 and on a lack of advance details on the quantity and delivery date of vaccines the state will be receiving.
For example, nearly 138,000 doses are allocated for the state this week, but she emphasized they arrive at different times throughout the week, which impacts administrative scheduling.
Levine said vaccinations are steadily picking up in the state and nation, although there is room for improvement.
“We all need to do better,” she said.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden plans to release nearly all doses of the vaccine instead of the current federal approach of holding back half to ensure second doses are available.
Levine said she would support this change if the manufacturing supply chain is robust enough to guarantee the second doses within the recommended period.
“If they feel comfortable that those second doses will be there, then I’m in favor of their plan,” she said.
The state also is awaiting an anticipated $100 million in federal stimulus funding needed to promote vaccination plans and set up mass vaccination sites and other programs to distribute the vaccine, she said. Levine said she is hopeful the Biden administration will “roll out a much more robust” national communication strategy emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine to help all states in their mission.
Current count
To date, Pennsylvania has received 827,300 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from the federal government, Levine said.
At least 285,671 health care workers and residents and staff of nursing homes have been vaccinated in the state so far, with 243,089 receiving the first of the two doses and 21,291 fully immunized with both required doses, she said.
In Luzerne County, 665 residents received both doses, while another 8,697 received the first one, according to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard posted at health.pa.gov.
The activation of 1B will include detailed plans on how to schedule appointments and various location options to obtain the shots, Levine said.
For now, residents in 1B should “sit tight,” continue following prevention measures and, if applicable, discuss vaccination plans and questions with their health care provider, Levine said.
The third phase — 1C — will cover those 65 to 74 or those younger than that with high-risk medical conditions in addition to workers in various industries, such as information technology, banking, construction and food service. Residents ineligible in the first three groups must wait until the second phase.
“I know it is really challenging to have patience, but we must show patience as the amount of vaccine available to Pennsylvanians is still extremely limited. It will take several months before there is enough vaccine available for everyone,” Levine said.
Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Director Lucy Morgan said her office is in daily communication with the state health department and prepared if the state determines a mass vaccination site or other assistance is warranted in the county.
Her office was involved in a mass vaccination site for H1N1 at the Kingston Armory a decade ago and has more recent experience with state coronavirus testing sites outside the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino in Wilkes-Barre Township and Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino in Plains Township last year.
“We’re ready to go,” Morgan said.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
