PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Department of Health has updated its plan to distribute the coronavirus vaccine in phases. Right now, Pennsylvania is in Phase 1B, but as of April 13, will open eligibility to all adults in the state.

Phase 1A

Phase 1A was the first vaccine distribution step. The vaccine was distributed to:

Long-term care facility residents
Health care personnel including, but not limited to: Emergency medical service personnel, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, chiropractors, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, technicians, pharmacy technicians, health professions students and trainees, direct support professionals, clinical personnel in school settings or correctional facilities and contractual HCP not directly employed by the health care facility
Persons not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious material that can transmit disease among or from health care personnel and patients
Persons ages 65 and older
Persons ages 16-64 with high-risk conditions: Cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down Syndrome, Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies, Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines, Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2), Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2), Pregnancy, Sickle cell disease, Smoking and Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Law enforcement, which includes police, sheriffs and deputies, constables, corrections officers and staff, as well as probation and parole staff.
Firefighters, including career and volunteer firefighters.
Grocery Store workers, including all workers in supermarkets and grocery stores.
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.

Phase 1B [Began April 5]

People in congregate settings not otherwise specified as long-term care facilities, and persons receiving home and community-based services
First responders
Correctional officers and other workers serving people in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A
Food and agricultural workers
U.S. Postal Service workers
Manufacturing workers
Grocery store workers
Education workers
Clergy and other essential support for houses of worship
Public transit workers
Individuals caring for children or adults in early childhood and adult day programs

Phase 1C [Began April 12]

Essential workers in these sectors:

Transportation and logistics
Water and wastewater
Food service
Housing construction
Finance, including bank tellers
Information technology
Communications
Energy, including nuclear reactors
Legal services
Federal, state, county and local government workers, including county election workers, elected officials and members of the judiciary and their staff
Media
Public safety
Public health workers

Phase 2 [Began April 13]

All individuals not previously covered who are 16 and older and do not have a contraindication to the vaccine (note that at this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech product is approved for those age 16 and 17)

You can read the Department of Health’s entire vaccine plan by clicking here.

Teachers and education workers

Pennsylvania PreK-12 teachers and staff, as well as child care workers, str able to get Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Teachers and staff who work in Pre-K and elementary instruction, as well as special education, were prioritized in the first round. This is because “younger children are more susceptible to learning loss and their families are more likely to have childcare challenges,” a news release said.

The vaccine is voluntary.

The vaccination of teachers is separate from Phase 1A, the current phase of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Everyone who was previously eligible for Phase 1A will continue to be.

>>FULL STORY: Plan in place to get Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to teachers in Pennsylvania