PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Leaders of the counties bordering Philadelphia are still frustrated with the Pennsylvania Department of Health's COVID-19 vaccine distribution and allocation, but they're moving forward the best they can.
Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Val Arkoosh said counties with health departments have planned for something like the coronavirus pandemic for decades, and she said Montgomery County has lived up to its end of the deal.
"Every drill we've ever done, every plan we've ever talked through, this was how it was supposed to go," she said. "The county sets up the sites, the states provide the medication — in this case, the vaccine. We're ready to go, we're just waiting for more vaccine."
It was the same for Bucks County, said Commissioner Bob Harvie. The county got its site up and running as soon as possible.
"It really was not a difficult thing to stand up because the plan was already there," he added.
Arkoosh, Harvie and Chester County Health Director Jeanne Casner said they have asked the state Department of Health for access to the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for harder-to-reach populations, like people who are homebound, have disabilities or experience homelessness. They would get a single-shot dose rather than Moderna and Pfizer's double-shot vaccine.
"Meet them where they're at and it's a lot easier to do that with a single dose," said Casner.
County leaders said they haven't heard back about those requests for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Pennsylvania is using the single-shot vaccine to focus on teachers and school staff. The plan was to use it to stock their upcoming mass vaccination sites.
However, Arkoosh said Pennsylvania's expected Johnson & Johnson allocation may fall well short of expectations — 65,000 rather than the anticipated 200,000. The state Department of Health said the allocation may fluctuate, but its plans for mass vaccination sites are moving forward.
