By Kristy Warren
Beginning today, April 5th, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include everyone in Phase 1B with additional rollouts for Phase 1C and Phase 2 in the next two weeks. The Laurel Health Centers are now scheduling all those in Phase 1A or 1B and ask our community to please help us spread the word. You do not have to be a Laurel Health patient to make an appointment. Review the timeline below for when COVID-19 vaccine scheduling opens for each remaining phase and make an appointment when you’re eligible by calling us at 1-833-LAURELHC (1-833-528-7354) or using our online form.
PA VACCINE ROLLOUT PHASES:
Ongoing - 1A: Healthcare workers, long-term care residents, seniors 65+, those aged 16-64 with high risk chronic conditions like COPD, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease
April 5th - 1B (Current Phase): Frontline workers in grocery stores, public transit, manufacturing, postal service, agriculture, people in congregate care settings, and individuals caring for those in daycare or adult daycare programs; view the full list on the PA Dept. of Health site
April 12th - 1C: Industry workers in construction, energy, public safety, transportation, legal services, and communications; view the full list on the PA Dept. of Health site
April 19th - Phase 2 (General Public): All Pennsylvanians aged 16 and up; Pfizer is currently approved for those 16+ while Moderna and Janssen are approved those 18+.
Why 16 and up? Because the rigorous clinical safety trials for the three U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines were initially studied in populations aged 16+. COVID-19 vaccination in children 15 and under is still being studied, and pediatric guidance will be issued once those studies have concluded.
To find your COVID-19 vaccine category and a full list of who is included in each phase, visit the PA Dept. of Health website at health.pa.gov. Those in prior phases who initially waited to receive the vaccine may still make appointments as we move into open scheduling.
HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR VACCINE:
To make an appointment when you’re eligible, call Laurel Health at 1-833-LAURELHC (1-833-528-7354) and select the center of your choice or use our online form. You do not have to be a Laurel Health patient to make an appointment. Second-dose appointments will be scheduled during your first-dose appointment; you do not have to re-enter the scheduling process or resubmit the registration form.
The Laurel Health Centers are now scheduling all those in Phase 1A and 1B with additional eligibility expansion planned for the next two weeks for 1C and Phase 2 (see timeline above). The general public aged 16+ become eligible to begin scheduling on April 19, 2021. We will keep you fully informed on our progress through the vaccination phases and any updates to our scheduling process via our social media and our website's news page.
The COVID-19 vaccines are our key to getting back to life as usual. Vaccines work by immunizing people against COVID-19—making them far less likely to catch it, spread it, or experience severe symptoms if exposed to it. For more information about the vaccine and how it works, click here.
To stop an illness from spreading widely or mutating into new strains, a large enough section of the population must be immunized against it. Help us reach this level of protection by getting your COVID-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible. It’s safe, effective, and our best shot to beat COVID-19. The more people who are vaccinated, the more difficult it will become for the virus to spread, sicken, and kill our family, friends, and neighbors. Until we're able to reach that level of immunity, everyone should continue to follow all COVID-19 preventive measures to help protect those who have not and to slow the spread of new, stronger COVID-19 variants.
Everyone should continue to:
- Mask when in public
- Wash their hands often
- Avoid large gatherings
- Physically distance at least 6 ft in public spaces and from those who are unvaccinated, high-risk, or outside the immediate household
- Get their vaccine when they're eligible
While we are making real progress in the fight against COVID-19, a fumble at the finish line can be very costly. Remember, all of these safety measures will remain vital to stopping surges until enough of the population can be safely immunized against COVID-19. At this time, everyone should continue to use all of these preventive methods, even if they've already been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. When enough of the population has been immunized, we will begin to see some of these restrictions loosen for vaccinated members, but for now, we must keep our guard up. For information on the many tools we can use to protect ourselves, please see the infographic below provided by the CDC.
Thank you for helping us protect each other and our community!
