The vaccine clinic site at West Chester University
WEST CHESTER — Two of Chester County’s leading COVID-19 vaccine providers have come together to create a one-day mass vaccination clinic this Saturday, Feb. 20, for 1,500 individuals in Phase 1A who live and work in Chester County.
The clinic is by appointment only, and the Chester County Health Department has contacted individuals who are next in line on its registration list for appointment scheduling.
The Chester County Health Department and Chester County Hospital have organized the clinic, offering appointments for first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, received by Chester County Hospital last week. The Saturday clinic is an extension of the week-day clinics already established by the Chester County Health Department at West Chester University’s Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center.
“This clinic is the perfect example of how the partnership between Chester County’s healthcare network – our hospitals – and the Chester County Health Department can most efficiently deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Chester County,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Marian Moskowitz. “We thank the leadership of Chester County Hospital for partnering with us in this way, and we also thank the staff of our Health Department and Chester County Hospital, as well as volunteers, for making this happen.”
“Chester County Hospital is taking the doses that it has received from the State, and tapping into the resources and planning of our health department to get the vaccine into the arms of 1,500 of our Phase 1A citizens as quickly as possible,” County Commissioner Josh Maxwell said. “We can – and will – look to replicate this across the county as more doses are sent to all of our hospitals and to the Chester County Health Department.”
The 1,500 appointments being scheduled for the Saturday clinic come from the Phase 1A list of people registered with the Chester County Health Department. More than 70 people will be working the clinic, including public health nurses and officials from the health department, a pharmacist and pharmacy technicians from Chester County Hospital, and 40 volunteers from the Chester County Medical Reserve Corps.
“We understand that it’s a great privilege to have access to the COVID vaccine,” said Michael J. Duncan, CEO and President of Chester County Hospital. “As healthcare leaders, it’s our responsibility to protect the residents of our community as quickly as possible. We remain hopeful that the vaccine clinic model we have established today is one that can be replicated throughout the county until all of our residents are fully vaccinated.”
The Chester County Commissioners continue to work on behalf of all county residents, to appeal to the PA Department of Health on the need for more vaccine doses in more highly populated areas of the state, and to ask that priority be given to the Chester County Health Department as a vaccine provider.
“In these early weeks and months of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out, with supply so incredibly limited, it makes the most sense to give vaccine to providers such as the Health Department and our hospitals, so we can centrally and efficiently administer the doses across the County,” said County Commissioner Michelle Kichline. “We have the public health know-how, the planning, the resources and the ability to invest in clinics and staff in places large and small throughout the county.”
In addition to this one-day clinic, the Chester County Health Department currently runs week-day COVID-19 vaccine clinics at the Chester County Government Services Center, West Chester University’s Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center, and the Kennett Square Fire Company’s Red Clay Room. More venues have been secured for vaccine clinics, to be opened as the Chester County Health Department receives more vaccine doses.
Speaking as a vaccine clinic partner, West Chester University President Chris Fiorentino said, “We are deeply honored that Chester County has turned to West Chester University for help in this critical effort. Hosting the Chester County Health Department and Chester County Hospital on campus to vaccinate numerous citizens is one of the most important roles that we can play as a good neighbor and a reliable partner. We are eager to work together to help heal our community and to assist in whatever way that we can to ease these challenging times.”
