DuBois, PA – Just like we had warned, even though there has been a massive expansion with how many people are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there just aren’t enough vaccine doses yet to be able to cover everyone who is eligible.
Penn Highlands Hospital CEO Mark Norman says the plan for right now is to give the vaccines to people age 75 and older who choose to get vaccinated.
If you are 75 years or older, your primary care physician should reach out to you about the vaccine. If you are 75 and older and your physician doesn’t reach out to you in about a week, or if you do not have a primary care physician, contact the vaccine hotline at Penn Highlands Hospital at 814-503-4735 to let them know.
Hospital officials say they’ve vaccinated about 10,000 people so far, and they’re set to vaccinate another 2,000 this week.
CLICK HERE to read the official guidelines from Penn Highlands about the vaccination process and the steps you’ll need to take.
Penn Highlands Healthcare is currently offering vaccinations to those individuals in the Pennsylvania Department of Health Phase 1A who are 75 years old and older as they are the group that is highest risk.
Penn Highlands Primary Care Physicians are contacting these individuals to get them scheduled for vaccine clinics. Due to the limited supply of vaccine we are scheduling vaccine clinics one week out.There are no walk-in vaccinations available at any of the PHH vaccine clinics.
You must reside in the PHH service area in order to be eligible to be vaccinated at a PHH vaccine clinic.
Please do not show up earlier than 15 minutes for your vaccine appointment.
Due to the limited supply of vaccine and that there are tens of thousands of people in the PHH service area who are eligible and interested in receiving the vaccine, we anticipate the vaccine process to take many months.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has established the following phases for COVID-19 vaccination:Phase 1a – Health care personnel including hospitals, long-term care facilities and EMS. Also includes: dentists, optometrists, therapists, and pharmacists. Effective January 19, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that people 65 years and older and people 16 to 64 with chronic health conditions are also included in phase 1a. Due to the limited vaccine supply and other resources, PHH is vaccinating individuals who are 75 years and older first as they are at highest risk.
Phase 1b – Front-line essential workers: first responders (e.g., firefighters and police officers), corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the education sector (teachers and support staff members) as well as child care workers.
Phase 1c – All other essential workers: workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing (e.g., construction), finance (e.g., bank tellers), information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, and public safety (e.g., engineers), and public health workers.
Additional phases will be established by the PA Department of Health at a later date.
Penn Highlands Healthcare CEO Mark Norman and COVID-19 Task Force Leader Dr. Shaun Sheehan give an update about COVID-19 cases and how vaccinations are being handled.
Never miss out on local news. Sign up below for Tri-County Insider News:
