COVID-19 Vaccine Guide: Here are the answers to the vaccine distribution in Pennsylvania, cost, and side effects

Overview

Pennsylvania is expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine in the initial phase of the rollout to include people age 65 and over as well as younger people with serious health conditions that put them at higher risk.

Getting Pennsylvanians vaccinated is an essential step in reducing the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The Department of Health is guiding the vaccine's distribution and administration in 66 out of the 67 counties in the state. Philadelphia County receives independent federal funding, vaccine allotment, and is establishing its own COVID-19 vaccination plan.

The state's vaccination plan follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and is continuously being updated.

How will the vaccine be distributed?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will work to get the vaccine out to Pennsylvanians in three phases.

Which Phase is Pennsylvania currently in?

Pennsylvania is currently in Phase 2.

Who is eligible under each phase?

Wondering if you are eligible for the vaccine? Take the Vaccine Eligibility Quiz.

Phase 1A:

• Long-term care facility residents
• Health care personnel including, but not limited to:
  • Emergency medical service personnel
  • Nurses
  • Nursing assistants
  • Physicians
  • Dentists
  • Dental hygienists
  • Chiropractors
  • Therapists
  • Phlebotomists
  • Pharmacists
  • Technicians
  • Pharmacy technicians
  • Health professions students and trainees
  • Direct support professionals
  • Clinical personnel in school settings or correctional facilities
  • Contractual HCP not directly employed by the health care facility
• Persons not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious material that can transmit disease among or from health care personnel and patients
• Persons ages 65 and older
• Persons ages 16-64 with high-risk conditions:
  • Cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
  • Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
  • Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Smoking
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Phase 1B:

• People in congregate settings not otherwise specified as long-term care facilities, and persons receiving home and community-based services
• First responders
• Correctional officers and other workers serving people in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A  
• Food and agricultural workers
• U.S. Postal Service workers
• Manufacturing workers  
• Grocery store workers  
• Education workers 
• Clergy and other essential support for houses of worship 
• Public transit workers
• Individuals caring for children or adults in early childhood and adult day programs

Phase 1C:

• Essential workers in these sectors:
  • Transportation and logistics
  • Water and wastewater
  • Food service
  • Housing construction
  • Finance, including bank tellers
  • Information technology
  • Communications
  • Energy, including nuclear reactors
  • Legal services
  • Federal, state, county and local government workers, including county election workers, elected officials and members of the judiciary and their staff
  • Media
  • Public safety
  • Public health workers

Phase 2:

• All individuals not previously covered who are 16 and older and do not have a contraindication to the vaccine (note that at this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech product is approved for those age 16 and 17)

How do I schedule my COVID-19 vaccine appointment?

Different locations have different protocols on how to schedule, so you'll have to follow those instructions.

For instance, a Rite Aid location will take you to an online portal where you could be waiting for a bit. 

How do I prepare to receive my COVID-19 vaccine?

Before you get vaccinated:

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has several recommendations for residents before they get vaccinated.

• Talk with your health care provider to see if vaccination is right for you.
• Check if COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for you right now and make an appointment to get vaccinated.
• Stay home as much as possible to avoid exposure to COVID-19.
• Wear a mask, social distance, avoid gatherings and crowds, and wash your hands often.
• Learn more about the different types of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Learn more about the benefits of getting COVID-19 vaccination.

At your vaccination appointment:

• When you get the vaccine, you and the person administering the vaccine will both need to wear masks that cover your nose and mouth.
• You will receive a vaccination card that tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it. You should also receive a card to remind you to return for a second dose.

After you receive a vaccination:

• With most COVID-19 vaccines, you'll need two shots in order for them to work. Get the second shot even if you have side effects after the first one, unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to get a second shot.
• You can register for V-safe, a free, smartphone-base tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. V-safe also reminds you to get a second dose if you need one.
• You can learn more about common side effects and tips on how to reduce your pain and discomfort after vaccination.
• Remember to receive your second shot!

Where can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is working to ensure all enrolled vaccine providers have information publicly available for those currently eligible to be vaccinated. 

The map below will be updated as more locations receive the vaccine. All vaccine providers on the map are marked with blue dots -- whether they've received doses or not. 

Click on a marker to see details on vaccination locations. 

Having trouble viewing the map? View the fullscreen version here.

Will I be charged for the COVID-19 vaccine?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health says that for the following coverage types, the vaccine will be free of charge:

• The major-medical health insurance market (individual market health insurance)
• Insurance through your employer (including through COBRA)
• Medicare and Medicare Advantage
• Medical Assistance through fee-for-service and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) 
• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund (PEBTF)

Your insurance company or health care provider should be able to help you in finding a vaccination location. 

What if I do not have health insurance?

You should still be able to get a vaccine at no charge. Ahead of your visit to receive the vaccine, you should call your provider to make sure you will not be charged.

How many COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered so far?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine dashboard allows Pennsylvanians to see the breakdown of where and to who COVID-19 vaccines were given.

Which COVID-19 vaccines are available?

Currently, three vaccines are authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people aged 16 years and older, according to the Pa. Department of Health.

The process of receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is to receive 2 shots given 21 days apart. 

Evidence from clinical trials pegs the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 years and older.

The process of receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is to receive 2 shots given 28 days apart.

Evidence from clinical trials says that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who received two doses who had no evidence of being previously infected.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is also available.

It's administration has been paused across the United States due to reports of six blood clotting issues after more than 6.8 million shots were given.

Where can I get more information on the COVID-19 vaccine?

For more information or answers to your questions, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page.

You can also call the Pa. Health Hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

As of February 9, FOX43 has only found that Wellspan and Geisinger have a phone number for people to book a vaccine appointment.

Here are there numbers and instructions straight from their websites:

Wellspan: Patients may call their WellSpan primary care provider to schedule an appointment. Patients without a WellSpan primary care provider or who do not have a MyWellSpan account, can schedule through the COVID-19 Hotline: (855) 851-3641. 

For help scheduling 2nd dose appointments, call (866)-638-1842 (select option 1 and then select option 2)

Geisinger: 570-284-3657, although when you call right now it says there are no appointments.

Can I volunteer to help with Pennsylvania's COVID-19 response?

Yes! If you'd like to help with Pennsylvania's COVID-19 response or another public health emergency, you can sign up here.