Dr. Levine signs order to get EMS, other healthcare workers vaccinated faster in Pa.’s first phase

PITTSBURGH — Health officials issued an order to make sure healthcare workers who are not officially affiliated with hospital systems get vaccinated faster -- in the first wave.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced in a virtual press conference Wednesday that 10% of all vaccine distributions to hospitals, health systems, federally qualified health centers and pharmacies will be designated for healthcare personnel within Phase 1A, including Emergency Medical Services workers.

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The order goes into effect Jan. 6.

Levine said it also requires vaccine providers to set up a point of contact for these non-affiliated providers to register for vaccination appointments.

“Many vaccine providers have already voluntarily begun vaccinating these providers and for that we are grateful. Today’s order formalizes this process and eliminates any confusion between vaccine providers and those health care personnel in Phase 1A,” she said. “There are nearly one million health care personnel across the commonwealth who work directly or indirectly with patients and are eligible for vaccine initially.”

The state listed some of the following workers included as “healthcare personnel”: nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees, direct support professionals, clinical personnel in school settings or correctional facilities, contractual staff not employed by the health care facility, and persons (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, maintenance, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer personnel) not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted among from health care personnel and patients.

According to a release, those not affiliated with a hospital or health system should take the following steps to ensure they can receive the vaccine:

• Review the COVID-19 interim vaccination plan, including Phase 1A sub-prioritization guidance
• Talk with their employer to identify which type of enrolled COVID-19 vaccine provider is most appropriate
• Find a participating location if their employer does not assign one
• Be patient with providers
• Schedule full vaccine regimen
• Provide necessary documentation when being vaccinated

This provides a sense of relief among most public safety leaders in Pittsburgh, but there are still problems that the order doesn’t solve.

“As far as I know, there are no police officers in the city that have received the vaccination yet,” said Wendell Hissrich, public safety director. “They are on the front line day-to-day, and there is probably not a week that doesn’t go by in in the city of Pittsburgh that those police officers save lives.”

Police officers didn’t make the cut for the first phase of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

For more information on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, CLICK HERE

Ralph Sicuro, of the Pittsburgh Firefighters Union, told Channel 11 only 125 out of 670 city firefighters have received the first dose of the vaccine at this point.

Hissrich said his goal is to get all 2,000 public safety personnel vaccinated as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Allegheny County Health Department said in a release Wednesday that it has distributed half of the vaccines received over the holiday to county employees working in “direct care, urgent care providers, healthcare providers for the homeless and in alternative housing, and to COVID-19 researchers with direct patient care.”

Among the first to get the vaccination were employees of the medical examiner’s office, Shuman Juvenile Detention Center, Allegheny County Jail and the health department.

Vaccinations have also been provided to providers of urgent care services. These front-line workers are seeing hundreds of patients each day.

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