President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a plan to make all adult Americans eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. He also said there is a “good chance” people from different households will be able to gather by July 4.
Everyone in Pennsylvania’s 1A vaccine group will be able to make an appointment to get their shot by the end of March, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday.
The announcement comes as the governor says the state is taking advantage of increased vaccine availability, including more doses of Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, as well as Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine.
“We’re talking about appointments within a reasonable amount of time,” Wolf said, without elaborating on what constitutes a “reasonable” timeframe.
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Pennsylvania’s 1A group includes some of the state’s most vulnerable residents, including people over age 65, health care workers, nursing home occupants and people with serious medical conditions.
“I need for everyone listening today to know that by mid-April, 80% of our 1A population will be on track to being fully vaccinated,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, a member of the state’s bipartisan vaccine task force.
With more shots of the Johnson & Johnson shot expected to arrive from the federal government, Wolf said the state will also set aside some doses and administer them to frontline workers, including law enforcement and correctional officers, firefighters, grocery store employees, and food and agriculture workers.
In addition, the state plans to set up regional vaccination sites, with the aim of having counties work together to administer shots to their most vulnerable populations.
