A SHOT IN THE ARM

More than 70 percent of staff at Chester County Hospital vaccinated

WEST CHESTER » Chester County Hospital (CCH) has administered more than 11,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine – including both Moderna and Pfizer.

More than 70 percent of the hospital’s work force has been inoculated, and over 50 percent of doses allocated to CCH have been used to vaccinate nonCCH affiliated personnel in the 1A category from across Chester and Delaware counties, including physicians, dentists, behavioral health practitioners, EMS providers, first responders, and health care volunteers.

“We are especially proud of our intentional efforts reaching out to 1A vaccine candidates from within underrepresented communities with historically low vaccination rates,” said Karen L. Pinsky, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Chester County Hospital. “Addressing vaccine hesitancy in our community is essential for us to return to normal life without masks and social distancing.”

Chester County and Delaware County continue to vaccinate groups in Phase 1A to include the individuals 65 and older, and individuals between the ages of 16-64 with certain medical conditions.

According to Pinsky, more than 50,000 qualified residents have applied to receive vaccine at Chester County Hospital.

“Due to the unpredictability of receiving adequate doses of vaccine, it has been difficult for CCH to single handedly accommodate the overwhelming demand and unfortunately we

cannot guarantee that we will have enough vaccine for all who have submitted names to our list,” said Pinsky. “So we encourage residents to apply to other vaccine providers throughout the county and not just one. CCH is committed to distributing all the vaccine we receive in a timely and equitable manner to all who are eligible.”

For questions about COVID-19 Vaccine in Chester County, call the Chester County Call Center at: 610-344-6225. To preregister for the vaccine: https://chesco.seamlessdocs.com/f/chescovac.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Chester County Hospital, in conjunction with St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester, held a COVID Vaccination Education and Engagement Program on Martin Luther King Day where 10members of the Church’s 1A community received the COVID-19vaccine. To date, the hospital has administered over 11,000doses of vaccine. Pictured left to right are: Lisa Croft, D.O.; Shafinaz Akhter, M.D.; Karen Pinsky, M.D. and Rolanda Johnson, M.D.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Chris Aylsworth, Chief Physician Assistant Surgical Associates CV Service, gets his vaccine.

SUBMITTED PHOTO More than 70percent of the work force at Chester County Hospital has been vaccinated for COVID-19.