Wolf Administration Updates on Progress of Vaccinations of Long-Term Care Facilities and Staff

First Round of COVID-19 Vaccines Nearly Complete at Nursing, Personal Care, and Assisted Living Facilities

Harrisburg, PA – The departments of Health (DOH) and Human Services (DHS) today provided an update on Pennsylvania’s progress administering COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff of long-term and congregate care facilities eligible in Phase 1A via the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program. To date, 100 percent of facilities enrolled in the program have received their first vaccine dose, 70 percent have received their second doses and, 70 percent of personal care homes and assisted living residences enrolled in the program have received their first doses.

“Vaccinating residents and staff of long-term and congregate care facilities – people who are often most at-risk of a severe case of COVID-19 if exposed – will protect our most vulnerable residents and, hopefully, reduce size and severity of outbreaks that have challenged congregate settings. This progress is a much-needed reprieve for long-term care facilities that have been particularly challenged by this pandemic,” said DHS Sec. Teresa Miller. “We are incredibly grateful to the committed staff at these facilities for their perseverance over the last year and their continued dedication to safety and fighting COVID-19 as we move forward. We have a long way to go, but we must recognize and celebrate this progress.”

Residents and staff of skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living residences are being vaccinated by CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, and residents and staff of other DHS-licensed long-term and congregate care settings are getting COVID-19 vaccines through a partnership between DHS and Rite Aid.

Pennsylvania is participating in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program in order to coordinate vaccinations for skilled nursing facilities, which are licensed by DOH, as well as personal care homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities for people with disabilities licensed by DHS.

Pennsylvanians living in these facilities enrolled in the federal program are receiving vaccines from CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens. As of February 11, all skilled nursing facilities have had their first round of COVID-19 vaccine doses, and more than two-thirds of facilities statewide have had their second-round vaccine doses. More than 70 percent of personal care homes and assisted living facilities covered through the partnership have received their first round of vaccine doses, and CVS and Walgreens expect to finish first rounds before the end of the month. To date, the partnership has administered:

Other long-term and congregate care settings included in Phase 1A of Pennsylvania’s Interim Vaccination Plan, including group homes for people with disabilities; residential treatment facilities and long-term structured residences for adults with behavioral health needs; and private psychiatric hospitals, are not included in the federal partnership but are still in the Phase 1A due to the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate settings.

These settings serve people who have co-occurring medical needs that put them at higher risk of severe cases and death if they contract the virus. Some personal care homes and assisted living facilities also were not enrolled in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership program and may be served by the Rite Aid partnership for DHS-licensed facilities.

Vaccine clinics for these facilities are being held on-site for facilities where people served are not able to travel off-site. Additional clinics are being scheduled at centralized locations when possible to accommodate more facilities and community group homes, which are typically small, private residences. To date, the partnership has administered:

Nearly 4,400 people have been vaccinated so far through this partnership. Approximately 7,000 people living and working in 1,800 licensed facilities and group homes will be vaccinated at 78 scheduled clinics over just the next nine days.

Learn more about the partnership with Rite Aid and view more data here.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. Please note that this does include vaccine administration through CVS as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, which is vaccinating people in long-term care facilities. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.

Through Feb. 13:

• 2,439,550 doses of the vaccine will have been allocated/received by providers.
  • 175,175 first doses will have been allocated this week.
    • 1,426,600 first doses will have been allocated in total.
  • 143,275 second doses will have been allocated this week.
    • 1,012,950 second doses will have been allocated in total.

Through Feb. 8:

• 1,352,248 doses of the vaccine have been administered to 1,049,609 people.
  • 1,049,609, or 74 percent, of people have received their first dose of vaccine.
  • 302,639, or 30 percent, of people have received their second dose of vaccine.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient.

• The Your Turn tool provides a way to register to be alerted when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.
• A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
• Vaccine provider map to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
• All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.
• Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
• Pennsylvanians can provide feedback on the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan by clicking on the Plan Feedback Form square under Popular Vaccine Topics here.
• Frequently asked questions can be found here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials