DOH: COVID-19 vaccination efforts speed up
Federal data shows Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts sped up in the past week, the Department of Health said Thursday.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked Pennsylvania number two nationwide. That’s second only to New Mexico for vaccines administered per 100,000 residents over the past seven days.
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To date, about 1.3 million residents have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. Some 2.8 million have received at least one dose, so far.
“That is proof that the pace of vaccination is accelerating here,” said acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam. “But let me be clear, we have a very long and challenging road ahead of us.”
Beam said the state’s vaccine supply still lags behind demand. Pennsylvania remains on track to open eligibility to all adults on May 1, however, per President Joe Biden’s goal.
That doesn’t mean everyone will get a shot right away, Beam clarified. She noted that it will take weeks to schedule and administer the vaccines to everyone who wants one.
Christen Smith follows Pennsylvania’s General Assembly for The Center Square. She is an award-winning reporter with more than a decade of experience covering state and national policy issues for niche publications and local newsrooms alike.
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