Vaccine rollout for many in Chester County begins next week
WEST CHESTER » Just in time for Christmas, and now that two safe and effective vaccines are available for coronavirus, the Chester County Health Department has set up a website for vaccine information.
It is available at https:// chesco.org/4822/COVID19Vaccine.
Currently, there are two authorized and recommended vaccines to prevent COVID-19 which are being distributed throughout Pennsylvania, including in Chester County and Delaware County. Biotech-Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95 percent effective, according to health officials
Both vaccines require two doses for full effectiveness — a second shot is given three weeks after your first shot to get the most protection the vaccine has to offer against COVID-19. The vaccine is not fully effective until the second shot, and doesn’t offer protection until a week after the shot is received.
The first doses of vaccine were given to health care workers through hospitals. Thousands of people in Chester and Delaware counties have already received the first dose of the vaccine. Last week, Pennsylvania received a total of 111,150 doses, all targeted for healthcare workers.
“I’m thrilled that we are seeing access to the vaccine here in Chester County,”
said Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick.
The vaccines in Chester County will be given in three phases, and the first phase rollout will begin Monday, Dec. 28. Each phase is expected to last
several months.
Eligible for the vaccine in the first phase are:
Banking and finance staff; childcare staff; construction staff; corrections staff; educators (K12); EMS providers; energy industry staff; firefighters; food and agriculture staff; food service staff; healthcare personnel of all types; IT staff; law enforcement; legal staff; long-term care residents; manufacturing/ logistics staff; media staff; persons 16 to 64 with high risk medical conditions; those 65 and older; public safety staff; public transit and transportation staff; small business, trade and gig workers; U.S. Postal Service staff; utility and wastewater staff.
As the vaccine rolled out, Chester County had seen 463 deaths from COVID-19, according to the county department of health. West Chester, Coatesville, Downingtown and Avondale are among the highest case counts in Chester County currently.
Across Pennsylvania, there are nearly 550,000 COVID-19 cases reported by the state department of health and over 14,000 deaths from the virus.
The Chester County Health Department is leading the COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning in Chester County and Delaware County. CCHD has a team working on all aspect of planning and distribution of the vaccine, in coordination with state and federal guidance.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, side effects from both versions of the vaccine are rare. They include pain and swelling on the arm the vaccine is received, and fever, chills, tiredness and headache.