MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA – As the coronavirus inoculation campaign continues in Montgomery County, the waiting list for the vaccine grows dramatically and frustrations increase with delays.
Who has already been vaccinated?
As of Monday afternoon, 56,351 people in Montgomery County were partially vaccinated against COVID-19 and another 15,712 people received both doses of the double vaccine.
That means that during the past week, about 13,000 people were vaccinated with the first doses in the county, while about 5,000 others received the second doses.
Most vaccinations were given at the Montgomery County Community College mass vaccination site in Blue Bell, or at Montgomery County hospitals for their employees. Pharmacists visiting the county’s nursing homes and other long-term care facilities also distributed vaccines.
Where to get the vaccine in Montgomery County
A new mass vaccination site opened last week at Norristown Area High School. All new appointments will now be scheduled at this location. Authorities say this site has significantly improved accessibility for the elderly.
Meanwhile, the Blue Bell campus clinic at Montgomery County Community College will remain open only to provide second doses to those who have already received their first dose there.
There are also several pharmacies and hospitals in the region that are starting to receive doses. A complete list of these sites is available here.
How long is the wait?
The queue is now 140,000 Montgomery County residents, officials said last week.
When residents sign up for an online vaccination appointment, it can take six to 12 weeks before they receive a notification confirming their appointment. This is due to the severe shortage of vaccines and the lack of knowledge of how many doses the county will receive in the future.
In fact, the county received 3,500 fewer doses from the state last week than it did the week before. This is believed to be because there are now more vaccine suppliers across the state, so the already limited supply is being further reduced.
Pennsylvania is now among the worst in the country in the percentage of vaccines it has managed to distribute. It is not clear why this occurs, although there are several possibilities.
Who is eligible to receive the vaccine now?
Montgomery County, like the rest of Pennsylvania, remains in Phase 1A of the launch of four phases of the coronavirus vaccine. This originally meant that the only people eligible for the vaccine were health workers, residents and employees of nursing homes and other care facilities.
State officials dramatically increased the number of Pennsylvania citizens eligible for the vaccine during the initial phase. Everyone aged 65 and over, along with residents aged 16 and over who have health conditions that put them at high risk for the virus were immediately considered eligible, adding about 3.5 million Pennsylvania residents to the list of eligible people. vaccines. However, the state is facing problems in obtaining an adequate supply of the vaccine.
With about 250,000 residents eligible to receive the expanded category 1A vaccine, it can take many months, or even a year, to pass through that category.
After 1A, categories 1B and 1C contain thousands of other police officers, teachers and other frontline workers in Montgomery County. There are about 16,598 school teachers and key staff and 1,400 police officers in the county, officials said.
How to apply
Montgomery County has created an online hub for information about the coronavirus vaccine. The hub contains detailed information about who is eligible to be vaccinated in each of the four phases of the state plan.
Individuals in 1B and 1C can pre-register for an interview to be vaccinated on the Montgomery County website. Registration for 1A is available at the same link.
Last week, the first public vaccination clinic in eastern Pennsylvania opened in Lehigh County. Hundreds of first respondents and elderly residents lined up for their first dose of the vaccine in Dorney Park. The Allentown day clinic was open to people aged 75 and over who had made an appointment, as well as health professionals and first responders.
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