Here is what we know about Pennsylvania’s plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccine

PITTSBURGH — On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. With this decision, the U.S. becomes the sixth country to allow the vaccine to be distributed.

>>>READ MORE: FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

Here in Pennsylvania the Department of Health laid out its plan to distribute the vaccine in phases. It’s not clear yet when the vaccine will arrive in our area to be distributed.

Phase 1

The Department of Health said it will work to get the vaccine out in three phases. In Phase 1, initial efforts will focus on reaching the following populations:

• Healthcare personnel;
• Emergency Medical Services first responders;
• Residents and staff of congregate care settings;
• People with high-risk conditions.

These groups of people are deemed “critical populations.” This phase is based off the idea that there will be a limited supply of the virus to begin with.

Phase 2

The Department of Health said it anticipates eventually receiving a larger number of vaccine doses. Phase 2 expands the groups of people able to receive the vaccine to include:

• Critical populations who were not yet vaccinated in Phase 1;
• People working in broader healthcare settings
• Those with barriers to accessing care
• Those contributing to the maintenance of core societal functions
• Those at elevated risk

Phase 3

As the supply of COVID-19 vaccine increases, Phase 3 of the plan will focus on:

• Populations not identified in Phases 1 or 2
• General population

In this phase, efforts will be made to ensure everyone has access to get the vaccine.

The Department of Health reports there are no plans to make the vaccine mandatory to residents. The vaccine protects a person by creating an antibody response to the virus without having to get sick.

The current vaccines are only for people 18 and older, according to health officials. State health experts said there are six U.S. vaccines being produced right now and five of them require two doses.

Local hospitals on standby to start distributing COVID-19 vaccine

Cox Media Group