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Lancaster County Vaccination Center to stop Sunday hours, effective May 16

Beginning May 17, the Center will operate from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until its scheduled closing date of June 30.

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Note: The video is from May 4.

The Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center at the former Bon-Ton location at Park City Mall will cease its Sunday hours later this month, Vaccinate Lancaster announced Wednesday.

The Center's last Sunday of operation will be May 16, Vaccinate Lancaster said. After that, the Center will operate from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The new schedule is effective through the end of May, but the center will be also closed on Monday, May 31, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

The Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center continues to operate with a planned end date of June 30, Vaccinate Lancaster said. The June operating schedule will be determined following an evaluation of projected demand for the COVID-19 vaccine among adults and the potential for expanded vaccine access to children.

The elimination of Sunday hours is the result of a reduction in first-dose vaccine demand, according to Dr. Michael Ripchinski, site director for the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center and chief clinical officer with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, lead healthcare partner for the Vaccinate Lancaster Coalition.

Although the Center is still administering thousands of second-dose vaccines and several hundred first-dose vaccines daily, patient volumes have dropped from the previous high of 3,000 first-dose vaccines per day, Vaccinate Lancaster said.

“We are at a critical crossroads in our battle against COVID-19,” Ripchinski said. “We have plenty of vaccine available, but we need everyone to do their part – not just by wearing masks and social distancing, but also by getting the vaccine.

“We know we have a long way to go before we reach herd immunity. If we all do our part and get our shot, we can finally get back to work, back to school, back to sports and events – back to normal.”

The Center continues to offer walk-in and same-day appointment vaccinations during all hours of operation. Currently, anyone age 16 and older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, which is administered at the center.

Recent news reports indicate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may authorize use of the Pfizer vaccine in adolescents age 12 to 15 as early as next week, Vaccinate Lancaster said. If that occurs, tens of thousands of children in Lancaster County will be eligible for vaccination at the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center.

“The expansion of eligibility for children would be a huge win in our efforts to truly vaccinate Lancaster,” said Ripchinski. “We need to vaccinate ourselves and our children to have any hope of reaching herd immunity and finally defeating this pandemic. Get your shot of hope today. Just click, call or walk-in.”

For more information, or to schedule a vaccination appointment, visit VaccinateLancaster.org or call 717-588-1020.

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