Bucks County COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: How It's Going

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — While local residents remain frustrated with the slow pace of the vaccine rollout in Bucks County, there are several encouraging signs on the horizon for those still waiting to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Sunday, county and state elected officials from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties met with Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam and other officials from the Wolf Administration to discuss the allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine in the four suburban Philadelphia counties. The officials issued a statement the following day calling for a greater share of the vaccine.

RELATED: Is Suburban Philly Getting A Fair Share Of Vaccines? See The Data

Teachers In Bucks Get Vaccinated

As part of the state's plan to vaccinate more teachers and open up Pennsylvania schools, the Bucks County Intermediate Unit launched a vaccination clinic at its Doylestown headquarters as it begins the process of vaccinating more than 10,000 school teachers, employees and contractors across the country. The state allocated 4,700 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for school employees in Bucks County.

The clinic will run through March 17 but is expected to resume again by April when the agency receives more doses of the vaccine, according to Bucks County IU Executive Director Mark Hoffman.

"We approximate 4,700 school employees and contractors will be vaccinated on this site with the J&J vaccine in this first round," Hoffman said.

Meanwhile, more CVS locations in Pennsylvania announced they will be giving the coronavirus vaccine, including stores in Chalfont, Horsham, Quakertown, Langhorne and Newtown. Appointments can be made on the CVS website.

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.

Doylestown Health Vaccine Appointments

Patients who have received care from any Doylestown Health physician (primary care and/or specialist) are automatically preregistered through the health system’s electronic medical record and prioritized based on their highest risk medical conditions. Patients will be contacted at the appropriate time to schedule their appointment. Additional public reservations for first doses will open in the near future. Click here for more information.

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.

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

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

Find A Coronavirus Vaccine Site Near Me: Pennsylvania

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 3.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine had been given in Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Health. More than 2.1 million people had received a single dose of the vaccine while another 1 million had gotten both shots.

In Bucks County, nearly 45,000 people had received a single vaccine shot by Friday and another 45,000 received both doses, according to state data.

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