The state wants leaders to choose a site for the clinic, officials in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties said a regional clinic would jeopardize the fair distribution of vaccines.
“Rather than working with local elected officials and regional health departments closest to the people we serve, the state has chosen to seek the advice of a Boston logistics company to set up regional locations as our local mass vaccination sites remain underutilized. We have highly qualified audiences. health and safety teams on site, high volume sites secured, and over 500,000 people waiting for our collective lists to take their photos. We just need more inventory “, you can read in part of the statement.
The four counties in southeastern Pennsylvania want the state to allocate its surplus of Johnson & Johnson’s one-time vaccine directly to the counties.
For weeks, leaders from southeastern Pennsylvania counties have called the state to say that, based on the size of their population, they have not been properly assigned.
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The state previously called these “false allegations” and blamed the data by saying they were incorrect, as some factors were not taken into account.
State Representative Frank Farry, a Republican representing parts of Bucks County, is one of the rowdy lawmakers who disagrees with the state’s one-off plan.
He even filed a bill that would require the state to distribute the vaccine based on population size.
‘Our provinces have already set up the infrastructure. They already have regional sites already staffed. They have a portal that people have signed up for. Now, I suppose, are you going to get people to sign up on another portal? ‘ Farry said in his Middletown Township District office.
At a press conference on Thursday, Acting Secretary Alison Beam said the counties would also have their own locations.
Beam applauded the health care providers, including health care systems and pharmacies, who are also administering the vaccine as part of a federal program where the vaccine is shipped directly to them and registered by the state.
According to a press release from the State Department of Health:
An analysis of CDC data on the number of vaccines administered per 100,000 of the population in the past week (through March 17) places Pennsylvania second in the nation behind New Mexico. Over 3.9 million doses vaccine were administered in the state. More vaccines administered than 44 other states. More than 1.3 million people (are) fully vaccinated. “
At the end of Thursday, a state team formed to handle the distribution of vaccines. Sources say the governor’s office could offer a compromise that would include at least one additional mass vaccination site for southeastern Pennsylvania.
All state sites will be operated by PEMA and the National Guard.
Read the full joint statement on behalf of southeastern Pennsylvania counties:
We are extremely disappointed to learn that PA DoH is not considering our request to assign the Johnson and Johnson vaccine directly to Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. We have reiterated our concerns about setting up a regional PEMA site for many reasons, and we remain deeply concerned that equitable distribution on such a site will be compromised.
“Rather than working with local elected officials and regional health departments closest to the people we serve, the state has chosen to seek the advice of a Boston logistics company to set up regional locations As our local mass vaccination sites remain underutilized, we have highly qualified audiences, health and safety teams on site, high volume sites secured, and over 500,000 people waiting for our collective lists to take their photos – we just need more inventory.
Opening a separate state-run vaccination site raises many important questions our residents need to know the answers to, such as whether to pre-register on yet another list to get the vaccine on these new regional vaccination sites or if their current places are kept in line. We also have questions about how the state ensures fair access to these regional sites, including options for telephone registration and language access. These questions have yet to be answered. The last thing we want is for our constituents to sign up for yet another new list if they’ve been waiting for weeks.
“We also remain concerned that without an allocation of one-time Johnson and Johnson vaccines, our efforts to efficiently vaccinate our most vulnerable residents will be hampered. This includes residents who are homeless, homeless individuals and those within our own home. correctional facilities.
“For all these reasons, we implore Pennsylvania DoH to allocate its surplus of Johnson and Johnson’s one-time vaccine directly to the counties.
Recognizing that the decision will be made by the Pennsylvania DoH and in order to meet the requirement that the four counties provide two locations acceptable to all counties, Bucks County and Montgomery County will identify a joint location and Chester County and Delaware County identify a joint site.In the hope that the Pennsylvania DoH will further consider our request to allow the four counties to distribute the vaccine, each county is also identifying an additional site that it is willing to manage that could spread. share of the vaccine. ”
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