Pennsylvania ranks second in the country for the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered per 100,000 people in the past week.
Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam cited this as a clear signal that Pennsylvania is making significant progress after a stormy start to its vaccination campaign.
“This is evidence that the rate of vaccination is accelerating here,” Beam said. But let me be clear: we have a very long and challenging road ahead of us. I can guarantee you that the team here at the Department of Health will not stop adjusting and renewing our strategy before every Pennsylvania person who wants it gets the vaccine. ”
About 3.18 million people received at least one or both COVID-19 vaccines, with 1.54 million fully protected, according to data from the state and the Department of Health in Philadelphia.
Last week, the state received a significant boost after launching its educational vaccination campaign with new single-dose Johnson & Johnson shots. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Pennsylvania is peaking at nearly 104,000 shots on Friday, but Pennsylvania is still a national place per capita.
The state on Thursday reported 3,126 new coronavirus infections and 17 deaths, bringing Pennsylvania to at least 976,847 total infections and 24,706. This is the fourth day in the past week that there have been more than 3,000 new cases.
Here are your coronavirus updates for Thursday, March 18, 2021.
About 24% of Pennsylvania residents have received at least one vaccine dose and 12% have been completely vaccinated.
Demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Pennsylvania continues to exceed the available doses, but Beam said at a Thursday news conference that she still thinks a May 1 goal to be eligible for everyone is achievable.
There are now 1.54 million people who have been completely vaccinated and 1.64 million with one shot, according to the State Department of Health and Philadelphia.
Beam said 97% of the first dose of shots were given, while 66% of the second dose of shots were given. These data exclude Philly, who receives his own vaccine award.
Pennsylvania remains in Phase 1A of its vaccination plan, which prioritizes those over 65, prominent health care workers and younger people with certain high-risk medical conditions. Pennsylvania estimates that approximately 4.5 million people are in this phase.
Pennsylvania and Illinois are doing a better job of offering first doses to older adults compared to the 10 states of the country with a larger population of 65 plus, the Department of Health says. A quarter of Americans age 65 and older live in California, Florida and Texas. Pennsylvania is one of the seven other states that still make up a quarter of the older adults.
Once the state completes its vaccination campaign for educators with Johnson & Johnson shots, the single dose of vaccines will go to certain Phase 1B workers, such as law enforcement, firefighters, grocery and agricultural workers, and state-run mass vaccine clinics. The state expects the J&J allocation to increase significantly by the end of March.
Beam stressed on Thursday that she was emphasizing the infrastructure that Pennsylvania now has ready “to administer every drop of vaccine as fast as we can get it from the federal government for next month.” There are four pillars: suppliers receiving federal grants, such as retail pharmacies and FEMA mass clinics; the state’s targeted clinics with Johnson & Johnson; the state’s provider network and state mass vaccination sites, including mobile vaccination clinics
This will ensure that everyone in Phase 1A can make an appointment by the end of March, as Governor Tom Wolf ordered last week, and then move quickly to Phase 1B and 1C, Beam said.
“We are working to make everyone eligible on May 1,” she said. “Qualification does not mean that vaccinations will be available immediately. It will take time to get everyone who wants a vaccine in their arms. Pennsylvania has no shortage of providers ready to administer the vaccine, but there is a shortage of vaccine. ”
The state has eliminated a shortage of vaccines by some providers giving second doses as first doses, but overall demand remains high, Beam confirmed Thursday.
The state has now reduced its vaccine provider network to about 300 providers, which will receive awards in the coming weeks, and has launched a new provider card intended to be more user-friendly.
Anyone looking for a vaccine can enter their address and see the nearest suppliers, including those who receive vaccine through the federal retail pharmacy. (The federal grants are reflected in the state’s vaccine data.) The card is more mobile-friendly and more accessible to the visually impaired, said Deputy Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter.
Suppliers on the map were selected based on geography, the ability to deliver a large amount of shots quickly, fairly and across the demographic within a week of delivery, Beam said. These providers received their first doses this week and will continue to do so.
Pennsylvania now posts which providers received the first and second doses of vaccinations each week in its Open Data platform, as well as retail pharmacy providers who receive doses and long-term care facilities that hold vaccination clinics through the federal pharmacy partnership.
Coronavirus in Pa. And the Lehigh Valley
The state’s new coronavirus infections have taken place after a steady decline in recent weeks. Although, over the past week there has been a slight increase with four of the last seven days reporting 3,000 or more cases.
Over the past week, Pennsylvania has averaged 2,638 new cases per day, almost the same as the rate two weeks ago, and 31 deaths, a significant decrease from 50 deaths a day two weeks ago. The majority of the state’s deaths were among the elderly.
There are currently 1,500 people hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 284 require intensive care. This is comparable to the spring peak of 3 May. Most people admitted to the hospital are 65 years and older.
The Lehigh Valley reported 236 new cases and one death on Thursday. It breaks down to 112 new cases and no new deaths in Lehigh County, which lost the total toll on 32,236 infections and 796 lives. Northampton County reported 124 new infections and one new death in a total of 28,482 cases and 666 deaths.
The provinces of the Lehigh Valley remain in the top 10 for most vaccination per 100,000 people. Philadelphia is the frontrunner with 38,908 strokes per capita.
Northampton County fired a total of 78,009 shots and has a vaccine rate of 25,553 per 100,000 inhabitants. Lehigh County fired 91969 shots at a rate of 24902 shots per capita.
The Bethlehem Health Bureau will place appointments for its clinics next week Monday and Wednesday at 8 a.m. Friday. Visit the website here and click on the COVID-19 vaccination clinic dates and registration for the link to schedule an appointment.
A small number of phone appointments will be available by calling 610-865-7092. It is reserved for Bethlehem and Northampton County residents who are 65 years of age or older and do not have access to the Internet and computers.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that vaccines granted by the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership are being tracked in the state panel.
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Sara K. Satullo can be reached at [email protected].