Pa. expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, but Centre County residents still face a wait
Pennsylvania expanded initial eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, but those in Centre County and across the state still have to wait for their shots.
Anyone 65 or older is now eligible, as well as those aged 16 to 64 with underlying medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the disease, though the state does not expect to receive additional allotment of the already limited vaccine.
Underlying medical conditions now eligible include cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, heart conditions, those who are immunocompromised, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, smoking and Type 2 diabetes.
About 3.5 millions Pennsylvanians are eligible to receive the vaccine; the state administered nearly 409,500 as of Tuesday, according to state Health Department data.
“We must have patience as the amount of vaccine available in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation remains limited,” Cindy Findley, a deputy health secretary who leads the state’s vaccine task force, said Tuesday. “... We are well aware we don’t have enough vaccine to meet the demand at this point.”
There are six registered vaccine providers in Centre County, though two have not yet received the vaccine and at least three others said they do not have enough to make it widely available.
Mount Nittany Medical Center, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Moshannon Valley Pharmacy and Rite Aid in Bellefonte received the vaccine, according to the state and interviews with providers.
Mount Nittany’s supply is limited to groups who were already eligible, while Encompass Health and Moshannon Valley Pharmacy are only vaccinating health care workers.
Boalsburg Apothecary and Mountaintop Area Medical Center have not yet received the vaccine, according to the state.
“This is a huge, huge undertaking and I’m sure everybody in the state level is doing the best that they can,” Moshannon Valley Pharmacy owner Bill Faust said Wednesday. “As the weeks go on, things are going to get moving smoother and I think we’ll see more and more people getting vaccinated. A project this size is something our country has never undertaken.”
The state is still in its first phase — 1A — of distribution, which also includes long-term care facility residents and health care personnel.
The next phase includes people in congregate settings, first responders and workers in food and agriculture, manufacturing, education, grocery stores, public transit, childhood and adult day care and the U.S. Postal Service.
The 1C phase is set to include workers in more than a dozen other sectors.
Nearly 2,300 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Centre County, while 1,190 are inoculated, according to state data. A majority of the vaccinations have been administered by Mount Nittany Health.
The health care system has received 5,600 doses of the vaccine as of Wednesday, spokesperson Nichole Monica wrote in an email. About 2,200 people received at least one of the two required doses, accounting for about 4,400 doses.
The remaining doses are expected to be administered to community health care workers, who are already on a waiting list.
The health system plans to provide updates on its website, mountnittany.org/coronavirus, and expects to launch a self-scheduling option when there’s more information about when more of the vaccine is coming.
Geisinger, whose nearest vaccine center is in Mifflin County, expanded availability Tuesday for its patients. Those interested in finding out if they’re eligible can complete a five-question quiz on the state’s website.
Alaska boasts the highest percentage of residents who received at least one dose of the vaccine (7.6%), according to a USA Today analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Alabama has the lowest percentage (2.3%). About 3.6% of Pennsylvanians received at least one dose.