Philadelphia has received its first batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and is expected to begin vaccinations this morning at multiple hospitals across the city, according to Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. Some 13,600 doses will be administered this week and health care workers are first in line to get vaccinated.
The City has outlined a plan of how vaccine doses will be administered, as more Pfizer and Moderna vaccine shipments are expected in the coming weeks and months. The following six tiers of vaccine distribution have been outlined:
- Health care workers routinely exposed to COVID-19 patients
- Residents and staff at nursing homes
- “Critical infrastructure workers” who are routinely exposed to COVID-19 while on the job, such as police officers, firefighters, SEPTA drivers, and sanitation workers.
- Residents and workers in other congregant settings
- People with underlying medical conditions
- The rest of the general public
There are tens of thousands of people in the city that make up the first two groups, and it may take many weeks for people in these two groups to get vaccinated, according to Farley.
UPDATE: First COVID-19 vaccinations began this morning at West Philadelphia hospitals.
Critical care physician James Lozada was one of the recipients of the first COVID-19 vaccinations at Mercy Catholic Medical Center – Mercy Philadelphia Campus:
December 16th, 2020 at 11:32 pm
Hi,
That is not Hari Amin.
December 17th, 2020 at 8:53 am
That’s me, James Lozada, and I’m a Critical Care Physician. Amin and 3 others from the ED were there for the first round of shots, and I am hopeful that the rest of our staff and others at highest risk in our community will be vaccinated soon. We are all appreciative of the hard work that MCMC and many others have put into this.
December 18th, 2020 at 6:26 am
So, everyone will wonder; will we be scheduled through our health care providers, employers, pharmacy? I’m sure it’s evolving, but hopefully some answers next month?
December 22nd, 2020 at 11:36 pm
Anyone want my dose? How much could I get for it?
December 23rd, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Have doubts about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Here are some FAQs: https://whyy.org/articles/have-doubts-about-getting-the-covid-19-vaccine-here-are-some-faqs/
December 29th, 2020 at 1:33 pm
Is this the same station that features NPR (National Pentagon Radio)?
December 29th, 2020 at 5:49 pm
If you have a counter-argument, especially with good evidence, please share it.