Chester, PA – February 11, 2021 – Senator John Kane (D, Delaware/Chester) called for answers from the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding last week’s distribution of vaccines in Chester County. Last week, Chester County received 3,200 vaccine doses, all of which needed to be used for second doses, meaning no Chester County residents received new vaccinations.
“We just passed the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 diagnoses within the United States. Working families are experiencing the largest economic decline in our lifetimes, and thousands of Pennsylvanians remain out of work. Students have lost a year of in-person instruction, and now teachers are being asked to return to schools in conditions that are unsafe. We are finally turning the corner on these conditions,” wrote Senator Kane in a letter to Acting Secretary Alison Beam. “Right not, however, demand for the vaccine far exceeds the supply. Chester County has a population of 525,000; of that group, 182,000 have already pre-registered for the vaccine. Yet less than 10,000 individuals have received full vaccinations…That leaves half a million residents of Chester County, including some of our highest-risk seniors, without any protection against this deadly virus.”
Senator Kane acknowledged that vaccine quantities are currently severely limited and offered to work with the Department of Health to support vaccination efforts and access within Chester County.
“This was something I heard about over and over again from my constituents this week. Nobody understood why this was happening, and why the 6th largest county in Pennsylvania didn’t have access to more doses. It’s my job to make sure I have answers and to make sure I’m fighting for Chesco and Delco in Harrisburg.”
Further coverage of the vaccination concerns can be found here.
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