Pennsylvania Announces New Vaccine Eligibility Schedule
On March 31, the Department of Health, in conjunction with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, announced the start of the special initiative to vaccinate targeted industry workers and to accelerate the vaccination timetable for those in Phases 1B, 1C and 2.
The new schedule means employees of energy-related industries in Phase 1C will be eligible for the COVID vaccine on April 12.
Here is the entire accelerated phased rollout–
— March 31: workers in the four targeted industries that Gov. Wolf and the Task Force announced on March 12:
— Law enforcement, which includes police, sheriffs and deputies, constables, corrections officers and staff, as well as probation and parole staff.
— Firefighters, including career and volunteer firefighters.
— Grocery Store workers, including all workers in supermarkets and grocery stores.
— Food and Agriculture workers, including all food processing company employees, including meat, poultry, and dairy processing, fresh fruit and vegetable packing operations, food manufacturing, all farmworkers, farm operators, and farm managers, including at urban agriculture operations.
— April 5: all residents in Phase 1B will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
— April 12: all residents in Phase 1C will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
— April 19: all residents will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
“The vaccine landscape continues to evolve as the federal government is increasing allocations to more retail pharmacy chains across the country,” Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said. “To ensure that vaccine continues to get to people efficiently and equitably, Pennsylvania is adapting its plan to allow workers in targeted industries to access any of the three vaccines available at providers throughout the state, and to accelerate our eligibility for remaining phases of the state’s vaccination plan.
“Pennsylvania’s vaccine providers have dramatically stepped up the pace of vaccinations to an average of 83,000 per day, moving the keystone state higher and higher in the rankings with other states. As we complete Phase 1A vaccinations, it’s time to open eligibility to more Pennsylvanians so providers can continue to fill appointments and efficiently, effectively and equitably vaccinate more people every day.”
“It is important to remember that eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment,” Beam said. “Vaccine providers are ready and eager to get a shot in the arm of every person who wants one while we continue to aggressively advocate for more vaccine.”
Residents should continue to use the Department of Health’s Vaccine Provider Map to find a vaccine provider nearest them.
The department will continue to update the map as the federal government increases the number of pharmacy chains receiving vaccine through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership.
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