COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: Acting Health Secretary Issues Order Aimed At Speeding Up Vaccine Rollout
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
HARRISBURG (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's acting health secretary issued an order Friday in an attempt to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam's order mandates vaccine providers administer 80 percent of their first doses received within seven days.
Vaccine providers are also ordered to have both an online and phone-based registration system that is staffed by a person. Appointments have to be made available to everyone in Phase 1A.
"We are also narrowing the provider network to get the vaccine to those providers that have demonstrated they have the ability to vaccinate the most people quickly," said Beam. "This means that some providers will not get as many first doses of vaccine as they have in the past. However, this is the most important way to get people vaccinated quickly so we can resume some activities as a community."
Before, Beam said the state was giving allocations to places like primary care physician offices and small provider offices. Now that health care workers there have been vaccinated, the state is narrowing its provider network.
Vaccine providers will also be required to "make every appropriate effort" to make sure there are available appointments for second doses, like by scheduling the second during the first.
If vaccine providers don't comply, "they may temporarily have their allocation of first doses reduced," Beam said.
"We want them to order what they can use. We want them to be able to order what they can put into arms. And so by clearly stating our expectations, we'll allow them to adjust their orders accordingly for next week and have enforcement the following week," said Beam.
The full order can be read here.
