Philadelphia's Vaccine Distribution Network Is Growing

Philadelphia PA

28 February, 2021

7:12 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Philadelphia : Sarah Reyes Board of Health, Department of Public Health, Office of the Mayor|February 26, 2021 There are more than 100 sites citywide that are approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine, and that number continues to grow, but vaccine supply is still relatively low in Philadelphia. Because of the limited supply of vaccine, the City is taking a phased approach to distributing it, focusing on vaccinating those who are at highest risk first. Because of this approach, the vast majority of the vaccine clinics in Philadelphia currently require appointments. As we plan to receive increased vaccine supply in the coming weeks and months, we're growing our network of vaccine distributors. This means that as vaccine supply increases, it will become easier and easier to schedule an appointment and get the vaccine at a location close to you. Here are a few of the ways we've recently expanded our vaccine distribution network. A FEMA mass vaccination site We partnered with FEMA to open a COVID-19 vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as early as March 3, 2021. FEMA and federal partners are planning to support this site through staffing, operations, logistics and vaccine allocations. This site can distribute up to 6,000 doses per day once it's at its maximum operating capacity. This site will also have its own vaccination allocation from the federal government—42,000 doses a week—separate from Philadelphia's weekly allocation, meaning that this site will more than double the number of doses coming into Philly right now. This means we can vaccinate more than twice as many people per week that we've been vaccinating. Three new community-based mass vaccination sites As part of the City's plan to make COVID-19 vaccine as accessible as possible in traditionally underserved neighborhoods, the Health Department has committed to opening three clinics that can vaccinate up to 500 people each, per day. These clinics will each ultimately run twice per week (once for first dose, once for second dose), resulting in up to 3,000 vaccinations administered per week. Currently, the Health Department is inviting people who completed the Vaccine Interest Form and meet Phase 1b criteria to sign up for appointments. These mass vaccination community clinics are happening at: Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School in Harrowgate Martin Luther King Older Adult Center in North Philadelphia University of the Sciences in West Philadelphia CHOP Education and Childcare Personnel Vaccination Program We partnered with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to create a program to vaccinate all teachers, principals, and staff at all District, charter, independent and parochial schools, as well as at childcare centers and pre-K providers. The program will continue in the coming weeks and expand to pop-up clinics located in school buildings throughout the city. Our existing network For months, we've partnered with many different organizations and companies throughout Philadelphia to help us distribute the vaccine. There are more than 100 sites across Philadelphia that are approved to administer vaccine. You can view a map of approved vaccine distribution sites here. Remember, the vast majority of the vaccine clinics in Philadelphia currently require appointments. If you're interested in receiving vaccine, please register on the City's Vaccine Interest form, or call 311 and have them get you registered, and you'll be notified when you are eligible and we have vaccine for you. That notification will include information about where and how you can register for an appointment. These are the types of sites we've partnered with: Pharmacies, both chains and independently-owned Federally Qualified Health Centers Hospitals Senior sites Urgent Cares Prisons Community centers Dialysis Behavioral Health We want to get everyone vaccinated, and we're working hard to do that, with new clinics opening every week. Register your interest in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine Get the latest updates on the City's vaccine distribution This press release was produced by the City of Philadelphia.The views expressed here are the author's own.