Pa. Dept. Of Health: State Won't Move Into Phase 1B Of Vaccine Plan Until All Of 1A Is Scheduled
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
HARRISBURG (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's vaccine rollout won't be moving into Phase 1B until everyone in Phase 1A is at least scheduled for a shot.
The state Department of Health says it's focused on reaching vulnerable populations, including seniors who haven't been able to get the vaccine.
Gov. Tom Wolf said last week he wanted everyone in Phase 1A to be scheduled for a vaccine by March 28. On Tuesday, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam signed an updated order pushing that deadline for vaccine providers to March 31.
The state's COVID-19 response senior advisor says no one in 1A should be falling back in line.
"Before we move into 1B, we're going to make sure all folks in 1A are vaccinated or at least scheduled for their vaccination. We're going to be working on that through March 31st, and we'll have conversations about moving into those next phases," Lindsey Mauldin said at a press conference Tuesday.
State Rep. Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, a member of the bipartisan COVID-19 vaccine task force, said last week that 80 percent of the 1A population will be on track to being fully vaccinated by mid-April.
Mauldin says the state has received more than 278,000 first doses this week, which is an increase of 25,000 over last week.
