Lower Bucks Hospital is seeking to expand their COVID-19 vaccination program, but it depends on how much supply is provided.
Officials from the hospital briefed Bristol Borough Council this week.
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Lea Rodriguez, the chief nursing officer for Lower Bucks Hospital, told council of the hospital’s vaccination program that started once emergency approval was granted in December.
The hospital has been able to conduct about 1,000 vaccinations per week, according to Rodriguez.
The hospital has been inoculating health care workers, emergency medical crews, law enforcement, and more recently family members of staff who meet the criteria for Phase 1A under the state’s vaccination plan. As more doses arrive, the hospital aims to vaccinate school nurses, medical workers, teachers with high-risk conditions, and members of the public who fall under Phase 1A, Rodriguez said.
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“We’ll be trying to do that if we have enough vaccine,” she stated.
Rodriguez told council members that the hospital is ensuring that if someone gets the first dose that they can get the second without delay.
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The hospital has been inundated with phone calls from area residents seeking the vaccine.
“I know people are desperate … but there’s only such much vaccine we’re given,” Rodriguez said.
The chief nursing officer told residents to register for the vaccine via the Bucks County Health Department portal. She said the hospital is working with the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership on scheduling.
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Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe commended the hospital staff for their work during the pandemic and with vaccinations.
The council president stated there was an effort to move some of Lower Bucks Hospital’s vaccine allotment to the upper portion of the county, but that effort was stopped.
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“We’re doing everything we can. We want to take care of the people of Bristol Borough first,” he said.
As of Tuesday, there were 33,489 partial vaccinations and 12,356 full vaccinations in Bucks County, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data.
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Bucks County officials said they will have capacity to vaccinate 15,000 people per week, but the health department presently lacks a large number of vaccine doses.
In Bucks County, there have been at least 41,946 COVID-19 infections and 1,066 deaths since the pandemic began, according to state data.
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