Montgomery County COVID-19 Vaccine: Updates, New Site, Delays

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — As the coronavirus inoculation campaign continues in Montgomery County, the wait line to receive the vaccine grows dramatically, and frustrations mount over delays.

Who's Already Vaccinated?

By Monday afternoon, 56,351 people in Montgomery County had been partially vaccinated against COVID-19 and another 15,712 people had received both doses of the two-shot vaccine.

That means that over the past week, about 13,000 more people were vaccinated with first doses in the county, while about 5,000 more got second doses.

Most of the vaccines have been given at Montgomery County Community College's mass vaccination site in Blue Bell, or at Montgomery County hospitals to their employees. Pharmacists visiting the county's nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have also disbursed vaccines.

Where To Get The Vaccine In Montgomery County

A new mass vaccine site opened last week at Norristown Area High School. All new appointments will now be scheduled at this location. Officials say this site has significantly improved accessibility for seniors.

Meanwhile, the Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell campus clinic will remain open only to provide second doses to those who previously received their first dose there.

There are also several pharmacies and hospitals in the area that are starting to receive doses. A full list of these sites is available here.

How long is the wait?

The wait line is now 140,000 residents deep in Montgomery County, officials said last week.

When residents sign up for a vaccine appointment online, it may take six to 12 weeks before they receive a notification confirming their appointment. This is due to the severe vaccine shortage, and a lack of knowledge as to how many doses the county will be receiving in the future.

Indeed, the county received 3,500 fewer doses last week from the state than they had received the week before. It's believed this is because there are now more vaccine providers statewide, so the already limited supply is being stretched even thinner.

Pennsylvania now ranks among the nation's worst in the percentage of vaccines it has managed to distribute. It's not clear why that is, though there are several possibilities.

Who Is Eligible To Get The Vaccine Now?

Montgomery 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.

State officials have 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. However, the state is experiencing issues obtaining an adequate supply of the vaccine.

With some 250,000 residents eligible to receive the vaccine in the expanded 1A category, it could take many months, or even a year, to get through that category.

Following 1A, the 1B and 1C categories contain thousands more Montgomery County police officers, teachers, and other frontline workers. There are some 16,598 teachers and essential school staff, and 1,400 police officers in the county, officials said.

How To Sign Up

Montgomery 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.

Individuals in 1B and 1C can pre-register for an appointment to be vaccinated at the Montgomery County website. Registration for 1A is available at the same link.

Last week, eastern Pennsylvania's first public vaccination clinic opened in Lehigh County. Hundreds of first responders and elderly residents lined up for their first dose of the vaccine at Dorney Park . The one-day clinic in Allentown was open to people 75 and older who had made appointments, as well as healthcare workers and first responders.

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