Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam signed an updated order Tuesday,
making March 31 the date by which all vaccine providers should have
Phase 1A-eligible Pennsylvanians’ vaccine appointments scheduled. The
amended order also requires providers to make appointments with patients
outside of their current patient network.
“This order requires vaccine providers to use all reasonable efforts to
meet this goal by the end of the month,” Beam said. “Providers also are
encouraged to consider other barriers to vaccination, such as
transportation issues, and tackle those so that our most vulnerable can
most easily access the vaccine.”
“When scheduling appointments, providers should think through an equity
lens and be aware of times or days that may be easier for different
populations to get their vaccination,” she said.
Beam also mentioned providers should consider leveraging mobile clinic opportunities.
To support vaccine providers, the department will be updating vaccine
allocation information shared on its website so that eligible
Pennsylvanians can see which providers have vaccine and the variety of
ways vaccines are being provided, such as via clinic appointments and
targeted community vaccination events.
The amendments were shared with vaccine providers Monday, March 15, and took effect Tuesday, March 16.
To meet the aggressive timelines, the department continues to
temporarily focus weekly vaccine first dose allocations to those
providers that can administer vaccine most efficiently and effectively
under the guidelines of the Feb. 12, 2021 order that, among other
things, requires providers to:
• At a minimum, administer 80 percent of their first doses of vaccine
received within seven days of receipt of those doses.
• Follow all requirements and recommendations in the COVID-19
Interim Vaccination Plan.
• Adhere to the current phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout, as defined by the department.
• Report the following within 24 hours of receipt of inventory or administration of a vaccine:
o Race, ethnicity, and county of residence for everyone receiving the vaccine;
o Receipt of shipments of COVID-19 immunization inventory;
o Reduction in inventory levels as vaccines are administered; and
o Reconciliation of inventory levels.
All providers that require and request second doses of vaccine will
receive them so that people can return to their original provider to get
their second dose.
This week, Pennsylvania vaccine providers will be receiving a total of
278,670 first/single doses and 242,270 second doses of vaccine. From
December 2020 through March 20, the state has been allocated nearly 4.7
million vaccine doses from the federal government.
To date, providers in the 66 counties under the Department of Health’s
vaccine plan have administered 3,835,484 doses, including vaccinating
more than 1.1 million people over age 65.
“Later this month, Pennsylvania anticipates receiving an increase in
vaccine first doses,” Beam said. “Once we have everyone in Phase 1A
scheduled, we will be working closely with vaccine providers and county
leaders to set up community vaccination clinics and to vaccinate
frontline workers.
“This aggressive plan is designed to meet the goals outlined Friday by
Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to get
everyone in Phase 1A scheduled, vaccinate workers in targeted industries
and then move to have everyone who wishes to be vaccinated eligible by
May 1,” Acting Secretary Beam said.
The only exclusions to the order are vaccine providers whose provider
agreement is with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and
facilities owned or operated by the federal government, including
facilities operated by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on
pa.gov.
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