This information was updated on January 11, 2021
Pennsylvania remains in the 1A Phase of COVID-19 vaccinations as of today.
Xổ số miền bắcThe 1A Phase of vaccination is for healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities only, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Doylestown Health continues to vaccinate health system staff as well as the staff of medical and dental practices and other healthcare workers in our primary service area that are not affiliated with Doylestown Health.
Who’s next?
Xổ số miền bắcThere is currently limited supply of the vaccine. It is allocated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and restricts vaccination to those identified in the 1A Phase.
There are no accurate projections of when vaccine will be available in subsequent phases of distribution.
The next phase, 1B, is for front-line essential workers such as fire fighters, law enforcement, and workers in the grocery store, certain manufacturing, public transit and education sectors – but not restaurant workers. People aged 75 years and older also qualify in the 1B Phase.
There is currently no timeframe when the 1B phase will commence, and this group is significantly larger than 1A.
Xổ số miền bắcPlease be patient and expect a long delay as there is not enough supply to meet the demand of the general population.
What should I do in the meantime?
Please continue to use face-coverings and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. These have been effective in the previous 10 months, and continue to be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Who Gets the Vaccine, and When
Xổ số miền bắcThe CDC issued recommendations for the administration of the limited supply of vaccine, and the PA Department of Health issued guidelines for distribution in the commonwealth that will take place over the coming months.
Here is an abbreviated overview of the guidance:
Phase 1A
- Healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities are offered first doses.
Phase 1B
- Frontline essential workers (e.g., EMS, firefighters, law enforcement, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector.)
- People aged 75 years and older because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19.
Phase 1C
- People aged 65—74 years because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19.
- People aged 16—64 years with underlying medical conditions which increase the risk of serious, life-threatening complications from COVID-19.
- Other essential workers, such as people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health.
Phase 2
This phase begins with there is a large number of doses available and supply is likely to meet demand.
- Critical workers such as essential business personnel who cannot work remotely.
- People with high-risk conditions, expanded from the 1A phases, to include underlying conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, hypertension, immunocompromised state, neurologic condition, Type 1 diabetes, residents of congregate setting (colleges, military barracks, etc.) and more.
Phase 3
This phase begins when there is likely sufficient supply and slowing demand.
- All persons of any age not previously vaccinated.
What’s taking so long?
There is limited supply of vaccine as allocated by the Department of Health to specific facilities such as hospitals, and the resources necessary to vaccinate people are also finite.
Unlike the one-shot flu vaccine, the first two COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. require two doses. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has two doses 21 days apart; the Moderna vaccine has two doses 28 days apart.
It is critical that the two doses are delivered at the appropriate interval to be effective. Additionally, all who receive the vaccine must be registered as a patient, provide demographic information, and secure a date and time for the second dose. These rolling vaccination schedules require extensive behind-the-scenes work to ensure all who receive the vaccines are protected.
Why is there variation in vaccine distribution throughout the U.S.?
Xổ số miền bắcEvery state in the U.S. determines its vaccine distribution guidelines based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. Doylestown Health closely follows the Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines.
Is there a waiting list in Bucks County or Pennsylvania to receive the vaccine?
No, not at this time.
Xổ số miền bắcWhen the Pennsylvania Department of Health authorizes the 1B Phase of distribution, more vaccine will be available to community physician practices to widen accessibility to the vaccine for those who meet 1B criteria.
Expect notifications from health systems, physician practices, departments of health, news media and more when the next phase of vaccination begins and how to get in the queue.
How long will it take to vaccinate everyone?
It is too early to predict; however, as more vaccines are approved in the U.S. (another five are in the pipeline), there will be more availability. There will continue to be obstacles due to the logistics of offering two doses of vaccine (one potential vaccine candidate requires only one dose) to 330 million residents of the U.S.
Where can I find more information?