Credit: Mackenzie Walsh
Pennsylvania health officials announced Tuesday afternoon that they will expand the eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to include more people with ailments that may make them more vulnerable to the disease.
The rollout falls in line with recommendations from the federal government, but it comes as vaccine levels remain lower than anticipated initially by federal officials.
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“Pennsylvania is expanding our vaccination efforts to start including anyone over 65 and people ages 16 to 64 with serious medical conditions that make them more at risk for severe illness due to COVID-19,” said Cindy Findley, the Pennsylvania department of health’s deputy secretary for health promotion and disease prevention and leader of the state’s Vaccine Task Force.
Updated guidance from the state said that Pennsylvanians between the ages of 16 and 64 with the below conditions can now get the vaccine under Phase 1A:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
- Severe obesity
- Pregnancy
- Smoking
- Type-2 diabetes mellitus
The state and Bucks County remain in Phase 1A of the vaccination plan.
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Just because Pennsylvanians may be eligible for one of the two the approved vaccines doesn’t mean they can immediately get them. The state has been dealing with slower-than-hoped number of doses provided through the federal government. Health care workers, emergency medical staff, and long-term care center staff and residents are currently being vaccinated.
Findley said the state is working to get as many people as possible vaccinated.
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The state updated their vaccine plan on their website, added a map of vaccine provider locations, and created a quiz to help people determine their eligibility.
Vaccine rollout across Bucks County continues. As of Monday night, there have been 15,960 partial vaccinations and 3,431 full vaccinations.
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