How PA Plans To Get More People Vaccinated

PENNSYLVANIA — The coronavirus vaccine storyline for the last week has been the same: there is not nearly enough supply to satisfy the need in the eligible priority categories. Not in Pennsylvania, and not anywhere in the country.

There is no getting beyond the plain facts: the state needs 8 million doses to vaccinate all of its expanded 1A group, which includes 4 million people. It currently only has about 750,000 doses, enough for 1.5 million, and new doses are trickling in at such a slow rate that it could be many months or a year until 1B is reached.

Pennsylvanians can learn more about where they can get vaccinated and when they'll be eligible at the state Department of Health's vaccine website here.

But within those restricted distribution dynamics, there is room to grow, and even though the state is powerless to impact the federal government's shipments and the production schedule of pharmaceutical companies, there is much they can do to ensure they're as efficient as possible.

RELATED: Eastern PA's First COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Site Opens

Currently, the state sits at the back of the pack in terms of the percentage of the population that has received at least one dose, according to a New York Times report analyzing national statistics and trends.

The state is 41st overall at 5.1 percent, the report states. That number does place them in a general middle grouping with the majority of states, as 39 states are between 5.0 and 7.2 percent. And, notably, many of the leaders on this list are states with smaller populations.

Still, even Pennsylvania leaders are saying that they know they can do better.

"There's no question that we need to do a better job," Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday. "I hate being in the middle of the pack, I want to get to the top of the pack."

>>PA Officials Give COVID Vaccine Update, Addressing Supply Issues

Wolf said they have a team that meets regularly with representatives from other states to analyze delivery systems being put in place elsewhere. On Tuesday afternoon, he had a call with all governors from all 50 states to discuss ongoing strategies.

Currently, some 1,000 sites around the state are distributing vaccine. Ever since 1A was expanded, they've been swamped with phone calls from confused and frightened residents, demanding answers. It's clear, Wolf said, that some of these sites "are not up to the challenge" of handling this sudden increased load.

Elsewhere around the state, counties, pharmacies, and other hospitals are administering vaccines. Once they receive sufficient supply to start expanding the number of people they can vaccinate daily, the state is planning to assist in the rollout. On Tuesday, PEMA director Randy Padfield said new administration sites and methods will look different depending on the part of the state in question, and its specific needs.

"No one approach is applicable throughout the entire state," he said.

But in many places, distribution will take the form of mass vaccination sites, which are touted by many as the most efficient form of delivery. As Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said on Wednesday, if a mass vaccination site (in a high-density population area like Montgomery County) receives a shipment of a thousand doses, they can administer a thousand doses in one day. This is opposed to spreading out a significant portion of doses to doctor's offices and pharmacies, which may not fill their registration schedule as easily, nor be be able to administer all doses immediately.

However, in other rural, more sparsely inhabited counties, with few significant population centers, it might make more sense to distribute on a local scale.

These decisions are still being made, Padfield says. And while distribution tactics and facility types may vary, he noted that in all cases administration would be "federally supported, state-managed, and locally executed."

These additional clinics will be introduced progressively as more vaccine becomes available.

"This is undoubtedly the largest and most complex vaccination program ever initiated in the state, the nation, and the world," Padfield said.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe