Philadelphia Officials Detail Next Phases Of Coronavirus Vaccine

Philadelphia PA

14 January, 2021

1:23 PM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia residents who want to get the coronavirus vaccine have some new information on when they may be able to get vaccinated. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley this week detailed the next phases of the city's vaccination roll out. The city is still in Phase 1A of the vaccine plan and as of Tuesday 50,529 people have received the first doses of the vaccines; about 9,600 people have gotten second doses. This phase only includes are healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities or nursing homes. As the city works through Phase 1A, those who will be included in the subsequent phases were announced earlier this week. People in Phase 1B include: first respondersgrocery employeesteacherschildcare workerscongregate facility residentspeople at risk of illness (this includes people 75 years and old and people 16 to 64 with high risk medical conditions such heart disease and diabetes Phase 1C includes other essential workers and people 65 to 75 years old without high risk medical conditions. Phase 1b vaccinations will begin later this month, possibly the week of Jan 25. Farley said completely vaccinating Phase 1B will take months unless vaccine production accelerates or more vaccines are given FDA approval. These phase designations were created by the city's vaccine advisory committee. In each sub phase, groups are listed in general priority order, not a strict order, Farley said. Additionally, Farley said vaccination of later phase groups will being even before preceding groups are completely vaccinated due to the time needed for full group vaccination. The city got 9,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 9,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week and will continue to get that same allocation through January. Farley said its unclear how many doses will be allocated to the city in February, making planning additional vaccine administration difficult. Various sites across the city — such as hospitals, clinics, occupational health clinics, pharmacies, urgent care centers, congregate settings, mass vaccination clinics, and some physician offices — will all be used for vaccination administration. Last week, 2,500 people were vaccinated at the mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in just two days' time. Rite Aid stores provided doses to 1,959 people last week, and CVS and Walgreens provided vaccinations to 3,732 staffers and residents at 20 nursing homes. As of Thursday, the city has seen 99,333 total cases of the virus since March 10. Two thousand six hundred eighty-three people have died from the virus in Philadelphia, as well. In Philadelphia hospitals, 566 coronavirus patients are being. Of those patients, 93 are on ventilators.