Bucks County COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Updates

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Promising signs for the availability of the coronavirus vaccine emerged in Bucks County over the past week.

After the revelation that Bucks County was among a set of suburban Philadelphia counties that got short-shrift in early vaccine shipments, county health officials said they had received their largest shipment yet of the vaccine and were expecting more large shipments to come.

With that in mind, county commissioners announced that Bucks would be doubling the number of shots given daily at its three public COVID-19 vaccine clinics and, later, announced the opening of two new clinics — one at Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem and the other at St. Luke's in Quakertown.

Then, on Friday, CVS announced that it has opened vaccine clinics at 75 locations in Pennsylvania, up from just six for the past few weeks. The new sites include CVS pharmacies in Bensalem, Langhorne, Chalfont and nearby Horsham.

How To Sign Up

Bucks County has created an online hub for information on the coronavirus vaccine. The hub contains detailed information on who is eligible to be vaccinated under each of the state plan's four phases.

On it, there's a form letting residents register for the vaccine. Once registered, residents will be contacted to schedule a vaccination appointment once sufficient supplies arrive, officials said.

Click Here To Register For A COVID-19 Vaccination In Bucks County

Anyone in Bucks County with internet access is encouraged to register for a vaccination online. But, for those who do not have internet access, there is another way. In Bucks County, residents may register for a vaccination by calling the county's coronavirus helpline at 1-800-383-0371.

Where To Get The Vaccine In Bucks County

Invitations are being sent out by email, offering appointments at the county clinics for people who registered with the county. Each site should be able to vaccinate 500 people per day once an ample vaccine supply is available, officials have said.

Bucks County hospitals also have begun registering members of the public to receive the vaccine. St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne now is accepting online registrations from people older than 65 and those 16 or older with existing health conditions. The hospital said it plans to open up eligibility in the next several weeks.

See The St. Mary Medical Center COVID-19 Vaccine Form Here

Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol also has opened a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for members of the public and Doylestown Health offers five ways to sign up for a vaccination.

Find A Coronavirus Vaccine Site Near Me: Pennsylvania

Pharmacies throughout Bucks County also have begun receiving and giving the free vaccinations.

Who Is Eligible To Get The Vaccine Now?

Bucks County, like the rest of Pennsylvania, remains in Phase 1A of the state's four-phase rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Originally, that meant the only people eligible for a vaccine were healthcare workers and residents and employees of nursing homes and other care facilities.

But state officials dramatically increased the number of Pennsylvanians eligible for the vaccine during the initial phase. Everyone 65 and older, along with residents 16 or older who have health conditions that put them at high risk from the virus immediately were made eligible, adding about 3.5 million Pennsylvania residents to the list of those eligible for the shots.

Who's Already Vaccinated?

As of Friday, more than 2.7 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine had been given in Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Health. More than 1.9 million people had received a single dose of the vaccine while another 868,000 or so people had gotten both shots.

In Bucks County, nearly 40,000 people had received a single vaccine shot by Friday, with about 39,000 already getting both doses, according to state data.

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