Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health (DOH) in conjunction with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced Wednesday the start of the special initiative to vaccinate targeted industry workers and to accelerate the vaccination timetable for those in Phases 1B, 1C and 2. All Pennsylvanians will be eligible to schedule vaccination appointments beginning April 19.
Pennsylvania has begun the following accelerated phased rollout:
· March 31 workers in the four targeted industries that Gov. Wolf and the Task Force announced on March 12:
o Law enforcement, which includes police, sheriffs and deputies, constables, corrections officers and staff, as well as probation and parole staff.
o Firefighters, including career and volunteer firefighters.
o Grocery Store workers, including all workers in supermarkets and grocery stores.
o Food and Agriculture workers, including all food processing company employees, including meat, poultry, and dairy processing, fresh fruit and vegetable packing operations, food manufacturing, all farmworkers, farm operators, and farm managers, including at urban agriculture operations.
· April 5 all residents in Phase 1B will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
· April 12 all residents in Phase 1C will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
· April 19, all residents will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.
“It is important to remember that eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment,” Beam said. “Vaccine providers are ready and eager to get a shot in the arm of every person who wants one while we continue to aggressively advocate for more vaccine.”
