HARRISBURG (100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) — The COVID-19 vaccination plan rolled out in mid-December, but the execution of the plan has changed along the way.
To that point, both Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine have provided an update into the state of the vaccine's dispersal.
Levine has cited the importance of keeping the initiative "fluid and flexible" to best adhere to federal mandates and guidelines.
Currently, the vaccination plan is in its fourth rendition.
The first shipments of the vaccine in Pennsylvania continue to be given out to the frontline health workers.
"Vaccinations are an important tool in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency have done a lot of hard work to facilitate a smooth, strategic vaccine rollout," Governor Wolf said.
"But most of the vaccine distribution process is controlled by the federal government and unfortunately, that means there are a lot of unknowns.
"However, my administration is doing everything we can now to prepare for the day when the vaccine is more widely available. There are hopeful signs we must embrace. They will help us regain control in a time when many things may seem very out of control."
To go with Wolf's statement, Levine has provided a more clear-cut vision of the vaccination program moving forward, and the explanation of the fourth and newest version of the plan has been expounded on the Department of Health website.
"This update aligns our plan with the latest recommendations from the ACIP and CDC," Dr. Levine said.
"Phase 1A has been further defined to identify specific health care providers. Phase 1B is now a significantly larger group of people that includes people age 75 and older, those with significant health issues and essential workers. This update also creates a Phase 1C, which is those people age 65-74 and people with high-risk conditions such as cancer, COPD, heart conditions and pregnant women, and those essential workers not included in Phase 1A or B."
The first batches of the vaccine have been limited.
Still, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is attempting to be mindful with those doses to "maximize benefits and minimize harms caused by the virus" and "promote justice, mitigate health inequities, and promote transparency."
And the plan all along was to purposefully keep the interim process malleable, to highlight flexibility and stay able to pivot.
With that, any changes to the program are made considering the patients and in conjunction with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
As matters start to transition into Phase 2, those aged 16 or above and were not already privy to the vaccine in Phase 1 will become eligible for the vaccine.
Additionally, thoughts, comments, and considerations can often be clarified by the Department of Health's digital form, which specifically lays the groundwork for the plan.
"Our recent success in slowing the spread of the virus, and the hope that we've been given with the introduction of these vaccines should energize all of us to continue the fight against this disease," Wolf continued. "We need to remain patient as vaccine distribution expands and the Department of Health works to keep everyone informed of the status of vaccine.
"It will take time, but a future without COVID-19 is possible, and I thank all Pennsylvanians for joining me in fighting for that future."