Not Enough Vaccine In Bucks Co. To Accommodate New Eligibility

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Officials in Bucks County say they were taken by surprise by Tuesday's changes to Pennsylvania's coronavirus vaccine plan and that they have nowhere near enough vaccines for the people now eligible to receive one.

The changes to Phase 1A of the state plan allow anyone 65 or older to receive a vaccine, as well as people with high-risk medical conditions. Just like that, Tuesday's announcement added millions of Pennsylvanians to the list of those eligible to be vaccinated.

"It is very frustrating that the federal and state governments keep identifying more and more citizens who are priorities for the vaccine without providing the vaccine or even any dates for possible deliveries," said Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, chairwoman of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

"There are clearly supply chain issues that are beyond the control of county governments, but we are being left to explain this to a public that is growing increasingly frustrated. The federal and state governments need to tell the truth to citizens: they do not have anywhere near an adequate supply of vaccines."

Before Tuesday, the initial phase of Pennsylvania's four-phase vaccine plan had been open only to healthcare workers and residents and employees of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Phase 1B, which would have opened up vaccines to people 75 and older and more essential workers, had been set to begin in February.

In a news release, Bucks County officials said the announcement "widened the already large gap between the number of eligible residents and the available supply of vaccine."

So far, Pennsylvania has received fewer than 1 million doses of the approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Tuesday's change to Phase 1A made a total of about 3.5 million people eligible for a vaccine, officials said.

In Bucks County, 12,938 partial vaccinations and 3,643 full, two-dose vaccinations had been given as of Wednesday morning. County Commissioner Bob Harvie said the supply of vaccine the county has received is "clearly not enough" for the newly eligible recipients.

"The county is urging the state to provide us with more vaccine so we can make sure our residents get their doses," Harvie said.

Last week, Bucks County announced that essential workers and others who will soon be eligible for the vaccine may register online to get the shots. Once registered, residents will be contacted to schedule a vaccination appointment once sufficient supplies arrive, officials said.

Since it was activated Friday night, more than 60,000 residents have signed up. Those whose status changed on Tuesday will be shifted from the 1B list to the 1A list and do not need to register a second time, officials said.

Also Wednesday, commissioners confirmed that the three free COVID testing sites at Bucks County Community College campuses are expected to be converted to vaccine sites in early February.

Those sites, along with two others that have not been publicly named, will be run through a partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which has been running the BCCC sites.

The county also plans to put together smaller teams to visit senior citizen communities, housing authority properties, locations that provide services to the homeless and other locations to administer vaccines, the commissioners said.

"We understand the confusion and anxiety people are experiencing," Harvie said. "There is a lot of information being sent out and every state has its own plan, which adds to the confusion. We are asking for patience while we work with the supplies we have been given."

Meanwhile, the state health department reported 387 new coronavirus cases in Bucks County on Sunday and Monday, for an average of 194 per day. That continues a downward trend of new cases in the county, which last week reported its lowest new-case tally since before Thanksgiving.

There have now been 44 COVID-19 related deaths in Bucks County in January, bringing the county's total to 973 since the pandemic began.