to ensure there is accountability and the administration of vaccines effective today, I have ordered vaccine providers to administer at least 80% off the first doses of vaccine they receive within seven days of delivery. I want to emphasize that this applies to first doses the Commonwealth has prioritized ensuring second doses in Pennsylvania are secure. Once the first dose is administered, vaccine providers should be making that second dose appointment when they administer the first dose. Next. If vaccine providers failed to comply with the terms of the order they may temporarily have, their allocation of first dose is reduced. This includes vaccinating people within the phase designated by the Commonwealth and timely reporting responsibilities. We also are narrowing the provider network to get the vaccine to those providers that have demonstrated they have the ability to vaccinate the most people quickly. This means that some providers will not get us many first doses of vaccine, as they have in the past. However, this is the most efficient way to get people vaccinated quickly so we can resume some activities as a community. Pennsylvanians have rightly demanded easier access to appointments, and vaccine providers agree that allowing them to use their systems to schedule appointments for their locations works best, however, using strictly online systems or phone systems that point you to the online system have left out many, including seniors who may not be tech savvy or have access to the Internet. Vaccine providers can and must make sure that if they are scheduling appointments, that they make those appointments accessible to all who are eligible. Effective February 19th, vaccine providers must offer appointment scheduling to everyone eligible and phase one A both online and through phone systems that are answered by a person to assist in the scheduling. It is essential that in the process of getting vaccine doses administered as quickly as possible, we’re still able to collect vital data in terms of the number of doses administered and who is getting them in the order I signed today, vaccine providers are reminded of their obligation to report to the department vaccine administrations within 24 hours. We need to know not only how much vaccine has been delivered, but accurately understand how much has been administered. We also need to collect race and ethnicity data to ensure that vulnerable communities and communities of color are being vaccinated. It is our collective responsibility toe work together to slow the spread of Kobe. 19 vaccine providers are the key to making sure that we can recover as a commonwealth, and as a nation, they have done a tremendous job administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine in record time. With limited resource is, however, there is a structure in place to save lives, and vaccine providers must follow these plans. We continue to work to make sure the limited supply of vaccine is administered equitably and quickly. There is not enough vaccine for everyone who can get it right now. But there will be. And we’re working to get us much vaccine as we can into the arms of Pennsylvanians, and we will continue to do more. In the meantime, we must mask up, wash up and social distance to save lives.
Pennsylvania orders vaccine providers to speed up
Pennsylvania health secretary issues COVID-19 vaccine order for all providers in state
After weeks of complaints about Pennsylvania’s halting COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the state Health Department on Friday ordered vaccine providers to get shots into arms more quickly, offer more convenient scheduling and make sure that shots are only going to people currently eligible to receive them.Pa. health secretary issues vaccine order: Click the video player above to watch.Under the order from Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam, providers must administer at least 80% of their allotment of first doses of vaccine within a week of getting them and offer live telephone operators to assist people who can’t schedule their appointments online.Providers must also adhere to the state’s phased rollout, which currently limits the vaccine to health providers, nursing home residents, people age 65 and older and younger people with serious medical conditions.Providers that don’t abide by the order will have their weekly allocations reduced or suspended.The Health Department said it was taking action in an effort to speed up the vaccine rollout and in response to widespread frustrations among Pennsylvania residents about how difficult it can be to secure an appointment. The state ranks poorly among the states in the number of shots given per 100,000 people, and in the percentage of allocated vaccine doses that have been administered.More than 4 million people are currently eligible to get one of the two approved vaccines. Nearly 1.2 million people have received at least one dose.(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)Watch the full video of the Health Department’s news conference below.Below are the updated requirements for vaccine providers, as announced by acting Health Secretary Alison Beam.At a minimum, vaccine providers must administer 80% of their first doses of vaccine received within seven days of receipt of those doses.Vaccine providers must follow all requirements and recommendations in the COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan.Vaccine providers must adhere to the current phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout, as defined by the department.Vaccine providers giving a two-dose vaccine shall provide the COVID-19 vaccine reminder card with a date for a return appointment for the second dose of vaccine.Vaccine providers giving a two-dose vaccine must make every appropriate effort to ensure available appointments for second doses, including, but not limited to, designating appointment times for second doses or scheduling second doses at the time of first dose administration, or both.Vaccine providers must have both an online and a phone-based registration system for direct appointment scheduling. Information on these systems must be made available to the department so it can be posted online.Vaccine providers must report the following:- Vaccinations and the information required by the Order Requiring Reporting of Data Related to Each Administration of an Immunization for COVID-19, dated Dec. 15, 2020, on each vaccine administered, including race and ethnicity of the recipient, whether or not the recipient is connected to the vaccine provider.- Within 24 hours of receipt of inventory or administration of a vaccine, vaccine providers shall report: __ Receipt of shipments of COVID-19 immunization inventory; __ Reduction in inventory levels as vaccines are administered; and __ Reconciliation of inventory levels.
After weeks of complaints about Pennsylvania’s halting COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the state Health Department on Friday ordered vaccine providers to get shots into arms more quickly, offer more convenient scheduling and make sure that shots are only going to people currently eligible to receive them.
Pa. health secretary issues vaccine order: Click the video player above to watch.
Under the order from Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam, providers must administer at least 80% of their allotment of first doses of vaccine within a week of getting them and offer live telephone operators to assist people who can’t schedule their appointments online.
Providers must also adhere to the state’s phased rollout, which currently limits the vaccine to health providers, nursing home residents, people age 65 and older and younger people with serious medical conditions.
Providers that don’t abide by the order will have their weekly allocations reduced or suspended.
The Health Department said it was taking action in an effort to speed up the vaccine rollout and in response to widespread frustrations among Pennsylvania residents about how difficult it can be to secure an appointment. The state ranks poorly among the states in the number of shots given per 100,000 people, and in the percentage of allocated vaccine doses that have been administered.
More than 4 million people are currently eligible to get one of the two approved vaccines. Nearly 1.2 million people have received at least one dose.
(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
Watch the full video of the Health Department’s news conference below.
Below are the updated requirements for vaccine providers, as announced by acting Health Secretary Alison Beam.
- At a minimum, vaccine providers must administer 80% of their first doses of vaccine received within seven days of receipt of those doses.
- Vaccine providers must follow all requirements and recommendations in the COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan.
- Vaccine providers must adhere to the current phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout, as defined by the department.
- Vaccine providers giving a two-dose vaccine shall provide the COVID-19 vaccine reminder card with a date for a return appointment for the second dose of vaccine.
- Vaccine providers giving a two-dose vaccine must make every appropriate effort to ensure available appointments for second doses, including, but not limited to, designating appointment times for second doses or scheduling second doses at the time of first dose administration, or both.
- Vaccine providers must have both an online and a phone-based registration system for direct appointment scheduling. Information on these systems must be made available to the department so it can be posted online.
- Vaccine providers must report the following:
– Vaccinations and the information required by the Order Requiring Reporting of Data Related to Each Administration of an Immunization for COVID-19, dated Dec. 15, 2020, on each vaccine administered, including race and ethnicity of the recipient, whether or not the recipient is connected to the vaccine provider.
– Within 24 hours of receipt of inventory or administration of a vaccine, vaccine providers shall report:
__ Receipt of shipments of COVID-19 immunization inventory;
__ Reduction in inventory levels as vaccines are administered; and
__ Reconciliation of inventory levels.