In order to help get more Pennsylvania students back in the classroom, the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced a new plan this week to provide vaccines to teachers and claimed they could do it without impacting the ability of seniors and other vulnerable populations to get vaccinated. This announcement came in conjunction with news of what the Department claims to be an improved distribution formula that accounts for a county’s overall population, population over 65, infection rate, and COVID death rate. The Departments stated intent is to dramatically improve the vaccination rate of Pennsylvanians in Phase 1A, including seniors.
The new vaccination plan would not change who is eligible to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in Phase 1A, including older Pennsylvanians and state residents who are more vulnerable to the virus due to various health conditions. However, teachers would now be eligible to receive the newly authorized, single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine under a separate program, which is expected to help teachers and students return to the classroom as soon as possible.
My personal opinion is that we still must prioritize those who are the most vulnerable, even for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and have made that known to the Department during virtual meetings.
In order to deliver the vaccine quickly, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the departments of Education and Health will partner with the state’s 28 Intermediate Units (IUs) to establish vaccine sites, with the support of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Lawmakers passed legislation authorizing the National Guard to deliver vaccines in February.
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