Neshaminy Mall, Senior Center To Be COVID Vaccine Clinics: Mayor

BENSALEM, PA — Neshaminy Mall and Bensalem Senior Center will be the sites of coronavirus vaccination clinics once there is enough vaccine for the general public, township officials said.

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo announced Monday that arrangements already have been made to set up clinics at the two sites. The mall is located at 707 Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, and the senior center is at 1850 Byberry Rd.

"We have that," DiGirolamo said of the arrangements during Monday's virtual meeting of the Bensalem Township Council. "But we don't have the vaccine."

Bucks County COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Updates

DiGirolamo and others said they've been swamped with requests from residents anxious to get the COVID vaccine. Roughly 43,000 in Bucks County have received full or partial vaccinations so far, but those have almost entirely been healthcare workers or residents and employees of nursing homes and other long-term facilities.

"We're getting inundated with calls here to the mayor's office — why can't they get it and this and that and the other," DiGirolamo said. "The township has no way of getting it done. It's through the county and the state."

"We're making every plea we can," he added.

DiGirolamo did not give a date for when the two clinics are expected to open, saying it depends on when enough vaccine is available. Bucks County also has said public vaccine clinics will be set up at three Bucks County Community College campuses, in Bristol, Newtown and Perkasie.

In all, 31,869 people had been partially vaccinated in Bucks County through Saturday. That is the fourth-highest county total in Pennsylvania. Another 11,153 people have been fully vaccinated with two shots, the fifth-highest county total.

The state Department of Health reported that 12,050 doses of vaccine were sent to Bucks County last week. Since the vaccine became available, 75,600 doses have been sent to Bucks and, of those, 54,175 are reported to have been administered, according to state data.

Bensalem council members said they, too, have felt the public's frustration.

"I actually had someone banging on my door, saying 'Where's the vaccine?' " said Councilman Ed Tokmajian.

State officials were expected to give an update on the vaccine supply Tuesday afternoon.

"The sooner everyone gets vaccinated, the sooner hopefully we can return to some sense of normalcy around here," said Councilman Jesse Sloane.

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