As most healthcare workers and nursing home residents in the city have received their COVID-19 shots, Philadelphia is ready to move to vaccinating people in the next priority group (Phase 1B) as early as this week, according to today’s announcement by Public Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

The priority in this group will be given to people considered at the highest risk, such as people over the age of 75 and those with high-risk health conditions – cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and patients who have had an organ transplant – according to the announcement. This group will expand later to include more health conditions.

People in the high-risk group will receive invitations from hospitals and federally qualified health centers to begin their vaccinations. 

The city will also begin vaccinating essential and frontline workers, such as first responders, corrections officers, public transit workers, and service providers for vulnerable populations.

It may take a few weeks to vaccinate people in these groups, according to Farley.

Group 1B also includes food service workers, educators and childcare providers. These groups will be notified later when it’s time for them to be vaccinated, some of them through their employer.

Philly residents who want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are encouraged to register online through the COVIDReadi website. Those who register will be notified when they are eligible to receive the vaccine.

Philadelphia’s Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium will be helping with vaccinations in the city’s Black communities once the city enters Phase 1B. People can sign up online here.

As of Monday, Jan. 18, 72,451 Philly residents have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 15,662 second (final) doses were administered.