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Posted on 11/19/2020 1:06:17 PM PST by lightman
The first COVID-19 vaccine could arrive in Pennsylvania next month, and a second could arrive in January, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday.
However, the early supply will be severely limited, with the initial doses reserved for front-line health care workers, first responders, the elderly and people living in group health care settings. Plus, the expected first vaccines will require two doses to be effective, further limiting the supply.
Pennsylvania plans to distribute the vaccine in three phases, with the second involving high-risk people not included in the first phase, and the third involving the general public. Vaccination won’t be mandatory, although the state will recommend it for most people.
Levine on Thursday said she had no specific dates, including exactly when batches will arrive in Pennsylvania, when enough state residents will be vaccinated to end the COVID-threat, and when Pennsylvanians will finally be done with things including wearing face masks and restrictions on businesses.
“We anticipate we’re going to be rolling this out through the winter and then into the spring and into the summer. It could take a significant amount of time to immunize everyone in Pennsylvania. I anticipate we’re going to be wearing masks well into 2021, maybe to the end of 2021,” she said.
Levine spoke in a day when Pennsylvania reported a state-record 7,126 new COVID-19 cases, with nearly 3,000 people in the hospital and 628 in intensive care. The daily average of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased by about 1,700 since late September, the health department said.
“We are in for a very challenging time, which is why we are talking about containment and mitigation and emphasizing how things are,” Levine said Thursday.
The good news, she said, is the promising results with two vaccines, one from Pfizer and one from Moderna. Both are in the final stages of testing, with effectiveness rates of more than 90% and few side effects. Pfizer is expected to seek emergency approval from the federal government this week, with Moderna close behind.
Pfizer, as is Moderna, is already manufacturing the vaccine, enabling it to ship vaccine shortly after approval. However, the supply will be severely limited at first, with the bulk of the needed doses not expected to reach states until sometime next year.
Pennsylvania has a federally-approved plan to distributing the vaccine. Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, requiring equipment normally available only at hospitals. As a result, health systems will be largely responsible for distributing it, according to Levine. Moderna’s vaccine and others in the pipeline don’t require ultra-cold storage, giving more flexibility in distribution, which is expected to eventually involve community clinics and pharmacies.
Most of the vaccines require two doses, adding to record-keeping and distribution challenges.
Levine said Pennsylvania is ready to distribute vaccine as soon as it arrives, although the state needs more federal funding toward some “logistical” matters. This includes communicating with the public about the vaccine and assuring people it’s safe.
There has been concern the vaccine development process has been rushed and politicized. However, Levine said Thursday she has confidence in the approval process and the safety of the vaccines, which was fueled by the Trump administration’s “Operation Warp,” a name Levine said has made some uneasy.
“I feel very comfortable with this process. I feel comfortable with the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines and I’ll encourage everyone in the target groups, as we roll it out, to get the vaccine and forget the pithy name,” she said.
Pennsylvania Ping!
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Our forefathers were dumping tea into Boston Harbor by now...
It is time to march on Harrisburg and throw these bastards out the window.
Since these lockdowns and mask mandates began, I’ve been telling people that a vaccine will mean NOTHING to these tyrants. They will simply find more excuses to keep their restrictions in place.
~Easy
It will never end. This is biological warfare and the Chinese agents in the US, the DemonRAT Party, will obey.
Called it!
Let me know America when you have had enough of this idiocy and we can join each other arm in arm
I’ve seen officials throughout central PA, mostly municipal, who don’t wear masks at work. But they expect the rest of us peons to don the muzzles.
Resistance when appropriate is no vice.
My hospital in Michigan will receive the Pfizer vaccines on December 1st.
You get what you vote for!
Then again maybe the PA state elections were frauded too.
This is America
America has not been ruled by some stupid virus OK thanks
Masks are stupid unless they’re in 95 but if you want to wear one go ahead but don’t damn tell me to wear one or I’ll kick your ass
The only exception is I want to protect my little grocery store and so I wear a mask and they’re just they don’t get in trouble with the stupid idiots out here in California
Social distancing is a meaningless concepts and is really really stupid
All these stupid little marks on all the floors of every store now are in need and stupid and idiot - who came up with 6 feet?? Indoors or outdoors or both?
Look you transvestite transsexual Satan worshiping moron in Pennsylvania ! passing off some public official
All has I have to say is a proud form of Pennsylvania native is make me!!!
We did not fight revolutionary war is to have stupid liberal politician dictate to us how we’re going to live our lives
And you know what?
Right now we’re in a WAR!!
This WAR. war the new American revolution to save America
from a leftist nutcake insurgency to try to take over this nation with fALSE concepts about the environment transgender CRAP race hustling and other nonsense
These people Pelosi Schumer and the new ones AOC and Talib are exceptionally stupid individuals
Our wonderful president , a classic New Yorker, has showed us IN SPADES. EVERYDAY. not to be afraid of them at all !!!!
and just talk down to them - the idiots that they are !!!
stop taking them seriously
stop cowering in fear from them
they are nothing
They are less than nothing
More words of encouragement from Governor Wolf’s pull toy...
First, you can lift restrictions way before you reach 50% vaccination, since 50-60% should give you plenty of herd immunity, and definitely much better than the stupid “wear a mask” rule is giving you.
Second, each manufacturer is expected enough doses to do 20-50 million people before december 31st. We only have 300 million people, so that is 1/6th of the population.
Third, by march there should be at least one more vaccine, again with pre-made 100 million doses.
There is no reason we could not vaccinate our entire population by april, if we wanted and people were willing.
Many people will be unwilling if they keep hearing FauXi, Levine, and the other Doctor Dooms saying that masks, closures, etc, will continue even AFTER a vaccine.
They will rightly say...what's the use?
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