COVID-19 vaccines will be sent to more providers in Pennsylvania, widening the distribution network to include doctors, small pharmacies, and others as part of the effort to overcome lingering hesitancy among residents who have yet to get the shot. The Department of Health allocated more than 295,000 doses to 383 providers, up from 225 providers that received shipments last week. The state is gradually adding providers after narrowing the vaccine administrator cohort to hospitals, FQHCs, and pharmacy chains. Now, as demand for the vaccine begins to slow, the state is increasing focus on hard-to-reach areas and populations. Gov. Wolf said more providers will be added in coming weeks “as we keep moving out from big facilities” and “figure out how we can get closer to people, which means putting it in the hands of people you trust.” Pennsylvania now ranks 10th in the nation in percent of population that has been vaccinated. The commonwealth has administered first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to about 48% of its eligible population of everyone 16 and older and more than 5.2 million people have received at least their first dose.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the latest update to the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. This latest update to the dashboard can be found on the second page of the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. The update displays a county-specific view of vaccination demographics by race, ethnicity, gender, and age. The updated data also includes a county ranking of the percent of residents in each county that has received at least one dose of a vaccine. For more information on DOH’s efforts to promote justice, mitigate health inequities and promote transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the Health Equity and COVID-19 page.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is encouraging vaccine providers to work with college students to ensure they get their full set of vaccinations. If it’s not possible for a student to receive both doses at the same location because they are returning home at the end of the semester, DOH says providers at the home location should work to ensure the college student gets fully vaccinated using the same vaccine they received as their first dose. DOH will support providers in these requests for second doses. DOH expects that numbers may not properly align, so encourages providers to include an explanation in the notes when filling out the second dose survey and report the data in PA-SIIS. Students should remember to bring their vaccination card with them to their second dose appointment.

By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema

Most rural areas are continuing to see improvement in new cases and deaths. But the vaccination rate in rural areas is failing to keep pace with the urban rate in most cases.
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Telehealth.HHS.gov has added a new best practice guide to help mental health providers navigate changes to telehealth policy due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This official website from HHS includes resources for getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.