Lower Bucks Hospital To Open Vaccine Clinic Tuesday

BRISTOL, PA — Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol will open a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Tuesday, officials announced.

The clinic, which will administer the Pfizer vaccine, will be run by appointment only and serve people who have registered through the Bucks County Health Department and are eligible under Phase 1A of Pennsylvania's vaccine plan.

The opening is a big moment for Lower Bucks County, as state and local health officials work to overcome a slow start and get coronavirus vaccines to the public quicker.

Bucks County COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Updates

Officials say the Bucks County health department screened applications and sent Lower Bucks Hospital the names of residents who meet the criteria to get a vaccination now. Under Phase 1A, everyone 65 and older is eligible to be vaccinated now, along with residents 16 or older who have health conditions that put them at high risk from the coronavirus.

On its website, Lower Bucks Hospital reminds patients that it is not scheduling vaccinations for patients who call to make one but is, instead, exclusively reaching out to patients who have registered with the county.

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

"We do not have the supply to vaccinate the individuals in these categories all at once. In an order to efficiently and equitably meet the needs of our community, we will be taking a phased approach to vaccinating our patients," hospital officials said. "We understand that many of you are eager to be vaccinated. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we seek to reach out to all of our eligible patients."

Lower Bucks staffers will continue to follow COVID-19 precautions at the clinic, including wearing protective equipment and getting tested regularly, the hospital said.

"The phased vaccination approach allows for continued functioning of the health care system and essential services in the community, while protecting people at increased risk for severe COVID- 19 illness," officials said in a news release. "These prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available."

The clinic will be opening about a week after Bucks County opened three vaccination clinics on the campuses of Bucks County Community College in Bristol, Newtown and Perkasie.

Collectively, they are administering 600 initial doses of Moderna vaccine per day by appointment to people eligible during the 1A phase of Pennsylvania's vaccine rollout. They operate Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., contingent on an adequate supply of the vaccine.

In Bucks County, political and health officials have expressed frustration at the number of vaccine doses that have been received from the state, which in turn has relied upon the federal government for shipments.

But there is hope on the horizon. Last week, Dr. David Damsker, director of Bucks County's health department, said shipment sizes are expected to increase in the coming weeks.

As of Monday morning, 37,384 people had received their first dose of the vaccine in Bucks County, while another 23,485 had gotten both doses of the two-shot vaccine, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

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