Philadelphia authorities have expanded eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccines by adding people ages 65-74 to Phase 1B of vaccine distribution in the city, which is currently underway. The announcement was made earlier today and this change is effective immediately. Before this change, only Philly residents age 75 and older were eligible for the vaccines under the current phase, besides some groups of essential workers, people with chronic health conditions and people living and working in congregate settings. Continue Reading

The Promise Zone’s Health and Wellness Committee is hosting a virtual panel discussion about the COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, March 9. If you have any questions about the vaccines and their distribution in the city, this is a great opportunity to ask them.

The panelists include:

• Dr. Claiborne Childs, Medical Director of Hospital Medicine Services, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

• Yaya Diakite, Director of Security, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

• Dr. Annette Gadegbeku, Assistant Dean of Community Health, Drexel University College of Medicine

• Alicia Williams, Registered nurse, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

• Kiara Benson, COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Coordinator, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The event will begin at 6 p.m. Registration link: https://bit.ly/3upvza3. The event will also be live on Facebook on the Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity page. Questions can be submitted online here.

A FEMA-run mass COVID-19 vaccination site officially opened today at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City. The site will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. through April 30. It receives its own allocation of the Pfizer vaccine directly from the federal government (separately from the city’s allocation) and has a capacity to vaccinate as many as 6,000 people per day.

The site is operating by appointment only with no walk-ups accepted. Philadelphians from phases 1A and 1B who have completed the city’s COVID-19 Vaccine Interest form are receiving invitations to register for an appointment at the site. (Check out this report by WHYY on how vaccine appointment invitation links sent out by email to eligible individuals were shared with ineligible folks who were also able to register for an appointment. The city has canceled those ineligible appointments and is working on fixing this issue for future appointments).  Continue Reading

The number of COVID vaccine doses coming to Philadelphia is about to increase considerably, according to the city’s Department of Public Health’s announcement. As was reported earlier, a new FEMA-run mass COVID vaccination site is expected to open in Philadelphia Convention Center as early as March 3rd. The site will be receiving its own allocation of vaccine doses, about 42,000 a week, directly from the federal government and separately from Philadelphia’s allocation. The site will operate from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., seven days per week, for at least the next six weeks, by appointment only (read more here).

As of this week, Philadelphia’s allocation is 28,000 first doses a week, so together with the FEMA-run site, the city will be able to administer more than a double of the current amount of doses to residents.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (2/26/2021): All of the available slots are booked for this Saturday’s clinic. Penn Medicine will be hosting another vaccination clinic next week – on March 6th. Stay tuned for more information.

(2/25/2021): West and Southwest Philadelphia residents who are currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (Phases 1A and 1B of COVID vaccine distribution) are invited this Saturday, Feb. 27 to a mass vaccination clinic that will be held at the Francis Myers Rec Center (58th and Kingsessing).

Those who live in the following zip codes are eligible to get vaccinated at this clinic: 19104, 19131, 19139, 19142, 19143, 19151, 19153.

The clinic will be open from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Registration is required. Please text READY to (267) 263-7464 to register for the clinic. Continue Reading

More details have been provided about the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the University of the Sciences (USciences), one of three new mass vaccination sites run by the city’s Department of Public Health.

The site will be open twice a week starting this week and will administer vaccine doses to eligible residents who had pre-registered on the COVID-19 Vaccine Interest website or by phone: (215) 685-5488. The department will send out invitations to people by email or call about scheduling an appointment.

The site will offer first doses of the vaccine on one day and second doses on the other day of operation. The Health Department is planning to vaccinate about 500 people per day at each site, gradually increasing the amount to up to 3,000 doses per week.  Continue Reading