Credit: James O’Malley / County of Bucks
Bucks County will open public COVID-19 vaccination clinics next week for some Phase 1A-qualified residents.
Audrey Kenny, the county’s interim emergency management director, announced Thursday morning that three clinics will be open by appointment only at Bucks County Community College’s main campus in Newtown Township, Bucks County Community College’s Upper Bucks campus outside Percasion, and Bucks County. Community College. Gene and Marlene Epstein campuses at Lower Bucks on Veterans Road in Bristol Township. The clinics will work Tuesday to Saturday during the day and in the evening.
The clinics, which operate under a $ 14 million contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, plan to administer 200 doses per day to begin with. The clinics are funded by federal funds sent to the country.
Those who will be contacted by provincial health workers for vaccination are in Phase 1A and registered through the Department of Health website. So far, nearly 200,000 residents have registered.
The province selects those who are contacted for vaccination in order of registration and qualification, officials said.
As part of a ‘soft launch’, the country was able to vaccinate a ‘small number’ of 85-year-old senior citizens through a clinic this week.
Residents and staff for long-term care, health care workers, medical emergencies and other front-line workers have been vaccinated by the province, hospitals in the area and a federal and state partnership with private pharmacies.
Bucks County officials expect the Department of Health to receive 3,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week. They are hoping for 5,000 doses in the future and are striving to maintain scale.
So far, 86 percent of the vaccine doses that came in Bucks County have gone to hospitals and pharmacies. The province received the remaining 14 percent.
According to Thursday morning, there were 35,863 partial vaccinations and 13,792 complete vaccinations, according to data from the Department of Health.
Credit: Facebook / Zoom
The director of the Department of Health at Bucks, dr. David Damkser, said everyone does their best to get vaccinations from patients.
Bucks County commissioners said more vaccine doses are needed and that the country is willing to expand vaccinations. Last week, Bucks County officials said they have the capacity to vaccinate up to 15,000 people a week.
Bucks commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia said officials were looking at other sites in the country as possible mass vaccination clinics, but the sites asked not to be named before the plan was finalized.
The AMI Expeditionary Healthcare contract enables the firm to operate up to six vaccination clinics in the country.
Patch.com reported that the Neshaminy Mall and senior center in Bensalem Township will be vaccination clinics, citing Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo.
Damsker and the commissioners have stated that they wish more vaccine doses were available. However, the number of vaccinations that can be given depends on how many doses can be produced and distributed.
Ellis-Marseglia said provincial officials spoke with government officials, neighboring officials, elected state representatives and state senators from both parties and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick about the introduction of vaccines.
Officials in the region are hearing complaints about limited doses of vaccinations.
“It’s a frustration nationwide,” Harvie said.
Implementation has been hampered by two doses required for both vaccines, the storage requirements and the 15-minute waiting period for patients after a dose has been administered, Damsker and Harvie said.
Looking ahead, Damsker said he could not wait for a time when there would be too many doses of vaccinations in the country.
Ways residents can help reduce COVID-19 distribution:
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Wear a mask properly if you are in a business or if it is difficult to keep proper social distance.
- Cover cough or sneeze with your elbow, not with your hands.
- Clean surfaces regularly.
- Stay home to distribute COVID-19, especially if you are not healthy.
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