Pennsylvania COVID-19 vaccine providers must administer 80% of their first dose allocations within one week of receiving them and offer a staffed hotline to book appointments.
The state Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam on Friday announced the new order aimed at boosting Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The 80% distribution threshold goes into effect immediately.
Beam during a Friday media briefing acknowledged criticism of the state’s rollout.
Pennsylvania as of Friday ranked 38th among states with 13,063 doses given per 100,000 people, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The state’s repeatedly emphasized it’s gotten 82% of first doses into arms, along with 35% of second doses, and said the system has inherent delivery and reporting lags.
But the new health secretary took full responsibility Friday.
“We need to do better,” Beam said.
Pennsylvania’s allotment of 318,450 doses this week is an uptick over prior weeks. This breaks down to 175,175 first doses and 143,275 second doses.
As of Thursday, the state’s administered 62% of the 2.4 million doses it has received through Feb. 13.
The department issued Friday’s order to give vaccine providers clearer information to roll out Pennsylvania’s vaccination campaign as fast and efficiently as possible, Beam said. It should allow them to better plan, she said.
The first phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccination plan prioritizes frontline healthcare workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, as well as people over 65 and younger residents with certain medical conditions. It includes 4 million people.
Starting Feb. 19, providers must offer appointment scheduling to anyone in the first phase, Beam said.
Some providers have been restricting appointments to certain groups within the first tier, like Lehigh Valley Health Network’s first mass vaccine clinic was only open to people 75 and up.
“I understand how frustrating the current vaccine process can seem and we have heard from many Pennsylvanians that are struggling to schedule an appointment,” Beam said. “As there is very limited COVID-19 vaccine supply compared to demand, every possible effort must be made so that the vaccine received in the commonwealth is effectively administered.”
Pennsylvania does not offer a centralized vaccination registration or appointment scheduling system, like some states.
Obtaining a vaccine appointment has become a full-time job for some residents, who sign up with multiple hospitals, health departments and pharmacies in search of a coveted vaccine appointment. And when new slots open up they can fill up in minutes.
Facebook groups have sprung up to help people navigate the labyrinth system and alert them to available appointments.
Navigating the various websites and phone lines can be challenge for elderly Pennsylvanias, who may not be tech savvy or have internet access.
That’s why the state is now requiring every provider to offer a staffed phone line for direct appointment scheduling as well as an online system. That also goes into effect Feb. 19.
The Allentown Health Bureau on Friday announced a COVID-19 vaccine scheduling call center system solely for city and Lehigh County senior citizens age 65 and older who are without internet access or are not internet use savvy. It’s staffed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at 610-890-7069.
About 1,700 providers volunteered for the state’s vaccination campaign, Beam said.
Pennsylvania plans to whittle down its approved providers to 200 to 300 with a track record of efficiently getting shots into arms, Beam said. She pointed to hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, qualified health centers and county health departments as effective providers.
This plan should offer providers clearer expectations that helps them more accurately order doses for the following week, Beam said.
“We want them to order what they can use,” she said. “We want them to order what they can put into arms.”
If vaccine providers don’t comply with the new order, they may see their allocation of first doses reduced or temporary suspended. (This could be reversed with proof of compliance.) Second dose allotments would not be reduced. Providers can alert the state if they need a waiver to meet the 80% requirement if there’s a snowstorm or other issue.
After receiving their first shot, a person should be given a vaccine reminder card with the date for their second dose appointment, according to the order.
State health officials acknowledged that vaccine demographic reporting has been incomplete thus far, so vaccine providers must report the race and ethnicity of every vaccine recipient back to the state.
By Feb, 22, providers must send the state data on doses delivered and administered within 24-hours of receiving a shipment of vaccines or giving shots.
The order does not apply to vaccine providers who have agreements with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and facilities owned or operated by the federal government.
Frequently asked questions on the order can be found at health.pa.gov.
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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at [email protected].
